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A Successful Expediton
Living Oceans Society, Canada’s largest organization focusing exclusively on marine conservation issues, recently embarked on an exciting deep sea expedition called Finding Coral, which kicked off on World Oceans Day June 8.
They dived up to 500 meters underwater in the British Columbia coast to collect evidence of coral gardens in the Pacific Ocean.
You can read about the expedition findings from Jennifer Lash, Executive Director of Living Oceans Society…
"The Finding Coral Expedition has now concluded and I am happy to say it was a great success. We documented over 14 species of coral, ranging from small orange cup corals to meter high red tree corals.
We learned about the black spotted rock fish that nestle in the stalks of Primoa and the brittle stars that entwine in the sytlaster hydrocorals. Over the next few months this data will be analysed by our science team and the result used to develop a conservation strategy to protect these beautiful and important creatures….read more
see the last video…
DISPATCHES FROM THE FIELD: FINAL DAY
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Video courtesy of Living Oceans.
…Why Now?
"Bottom Trawling is the subsea equivalent of collecting the entire farm, when the goal is to bring in a bushel of apples." Dr. Sylvia Earle
Jennifer Lash, Executive Director of Living Oceans Society which holds the Oceans Fund at Tides Canada, says coral gardens are being threatened by an increase in bottom trawlers that drag weighted nets along the sea floor, scraping it bare as they scoop up everything in their path.
Video courtesy of Oceana
"Right now there’s no protection of coral in BC, and they’re a vital supply habitat to thousands of species. For example, we know in Alaska they’re important for rock crabs and shrimps, and if we remove their habitat we destroy these species."
Living Oceans Society plans to use the results of their research to increase protection for marine habitats off the BC coast. You can support this research by donating to Living Oceans Society via their Oceans Fund at Tides Canada.
