Here are pictures of beautiful Lophelia corals found living on the ocean floor off the east coast of Canada. When the discovery was made by the Centre for Marine Biodiversity, these areas were surrounded by fencing and made off limits to Canadian bottom trawling fleets. Scientists were hoping the United Nations would declare a temporary moratorium on bottom trawling in international waters so that scientists could protect ecologically fragile parts of the ocean floor.Sadly, this effort failed, and Canada sided with nations such as Spain, opposing the temporary moratorium. Click here for pictures of other corals damaged by bottom trawling.
These pictures were provided to the Gifted Typist by Dr. Ellen Kenchington, research scientist with the Canadian Department of Fisheries, Ecosystem Research Division. Thank you Ellen.
