Abstract
A database of deep-water (> 200 m) antipatharians, scleractinians, and gorgonians
has been assembled for the NE Atlantic to determine what their distribution and diversity was before coral habitats became heavily impacted by bottom fishing gear. Benthic
sampling expeditions from 1868–1985 have provided 2547 records showing the deepwater distribution of 22 species of antipatharians, 68 species of scleractinians, and 83
species of gorgonians with the majority of records found from seamounts, oceanic islands, and the continental slope of the warm temperate region. Too little is known about
the coral biota of boreal and tropical seamounts to assess their levels of endemism, but
on seamounts in the warm temperate region of the NE Atlantic the level endemism in
antipatharian, scleractinian and gorgonian corals is low (< 3%). Many of the species
found on seamounts are characteristic of oceanic islands in this region and the oceanic
islands have a significantly different coral fauna to that recorded at the same depths on
the continental slope. Given the key role that corals can play in structuring deep-sea
habitats it is hoped that our database will help inform the development of a network of
marine protected areas to provide long-term protection for the differing communities
found on continental slopes and isolated offshore habitats.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 135-146 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Conservation and Adaptive Management of Seamount and Deep-Sea Coral Ecosystems |
Volume | 81 |
Issue number | 0 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2007 |