About Sea

Over the last few years, cold water corals have been discovered all around the world. These reefs are often found in deep water, which means they are inaccessible to all but scientists. Cold-water corals, just as their warm-water relatives are under serious threat. These mysterious and generally deeper living than their better known warm-water cousins in the tropics, are far more widespread and numerous than had previously been thought. Cold-water coral findings are not confined to waters in the northern hemisphere off places like Canada and Scandinavia, as many would think. Scientists have found thriving cold-water corals in waters off the coasts of more than 40 countries including Spain, Suriname, Brazil, Angola, Indonesia and the Seychelles.

Man-made threats
It seems odd that corals, which usually are found at depths between 200 and 1000 meters, should be in danger. In contrast to the shallow reefs in the tropics, deep water reefs are not directly threatened by, for example, tourism or pollution. The biggest threats to these deep cold-water reefs are still man-made, as most of them show signs of damage from heavy deep-sea fishing gear. Pipelines and petroleum exploration also poses a threat to these delicate reefs. As oil prices and profits are on the rise, and the world gets ever hungrier for oil-based products, the search for more oil is increasing. This will put a further strain on many coral reefs, both in cold and tropical waters. Warm-water coral reefs have a recreational value, too, for example, for scuba divers, of income for poor nations, by providing a focus for tourism in their area. Cold-water reefs also have economical value. They are important to fish stocks, and therefore, to the fishing industry, which makes it self-contradictory to continue with the use of destructive gear, for example, bottom trawlers. Both warm and cold-water coral reefs are important feeding grounds for fish, and provide habitat for numerous marine creatures.

Protected
Norway was the first country to implement protection measures for cold-water corals in European waters. In Norway, especially large amounts of the cold-water coral Lophelia have been detected. The presence of coral reefs along the Norwegian coastline has been known for quite a long time. The existence of these deep-water coral reefs has been known for centuries both by Norwegian fishermen and scientists, but it was not until recently that the scientists and the government became aware of how widespread and large the reefs were. Some of the cold-water coral reefs are huge structures. The largest Lophelia reef, which was discovered in the North Atlantic, is on the Sula Ridge off the coast of Norway. This reef is more than 13 km long, 15 meters high and up to 400 meters wide. Research on deep-water coral reefs by the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) in Norway started with a pilot project in 1997 to test methods for detection and mapping of the reefs. They have documented that about 30-50 percent of the Lophelia reefs in Norwegian waters have been damaged or impacted by trawling. The rising awareness of the necessity to protect the cold water reefs has reached international organizations, and the movement has gained momentum. The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) arranged its third symposium on deep-sea corals in December 2005. These ongoing scientific missions have shed light on the global significance of this overlooked ecosystem. The symposium and other gatherings of scientists will help foster exchange of information and research results about the deep-sea cold-water coral reefs. In addition, the UN has engaged in work of protecting this valuable resource. In 2003, the UNEP Coral Reef Unit (CRU) established a cold-water coral reef initiative with the and the UK, and the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF).

Slow builders
Cold-water coral reefs are mainly found at depths between 200 and 1,000 meters. But they have been located as shallow as 40 meters, and in great depths as deep as 6300 meters. Cold-water coral reefs grow slowly, with a growth rate of 4-25 mm per year, while warm-water reefs can grow up to 150 mm per year. Additionally, the composition of the cold-water reefs consists of only a very few reef building species-only about six. Warm-water coral reefs are, on the other hand, com do not possess symbiotic algae as their counterparts do that live in the shallow reefs, which are exposed to sunlight. These corals feed on plankton and other organic matter. Even though they are out of reach of the sun, the cold and gloomy waters of the deep ocean are not void of living creatures. In addition to fish, crustaceans, fish, sea urchins and brittle stars also form a part of the rich and diverse community, which thrives on cold-water coral reefs.