Huvenne, V.A.I., Bett, B.J., Masson, D.G., Le Bas, T.P., & Wheeler, A.J. (2016). Effectiveness of a deep-sea cold-water coral Marine Protected Area, following eight years of fisheries closure. Biological Conservation. V. 200, pp. 60–69. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2016.05.030.
Key Findings
- In 1998, scientists discovered cold-water coral reefs off the coast of Northwest Scotland. The reefs were closed to all bottom contact fisheries, especially trawling, in 2003, to prevent further damage.
- In 2011, a team of scientists from the National Oceanography Centre in the UK went back to the area, repeating the earlier observations using newer marine survey technology: an autonomous underwater vehicle to map the area and a remotely operated vehicle to collect video footage.
- They found that, in general, the fishing industry had complied well with the closure. However, in areas that had been affected before closure, little live coral could be found, and there was little indication of new coral growth.
- These potentially irreversible changes in the reef underline the importance of precautionary management of deep-water corals and other sensitive habitats.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320716302117.