Irish Deep Water Coral In Danger

Glad to see that the unexplored coral reefs off our shores are getting some publicity - this is from the BBC website.

Spectacular deep-water corals off the south-west coast of Ireland are in urgent need of protection, a conference in Dublin will hear on Monday. Marine biologist Dr Jason Hall-Spencer says unique habitats are being bulldozed with heavy fishing gear. He has video evidence of the damage and wants the authorities to close off areas that remain pristine. He believes a satellite monitoring system could be used to police boats and keep them away from the reefs. "A new European law requires boats above a certain length to carry a black box on board," the University of Plymouth researcher told the BBC News website. "The Vessel Monitoring Scheme (VMS) has never been used to protect bottom-water habitats but that is precisely what should be done. "We could close these areas off and if people went in there to fish we would know about it and would be able to prosecute them. Now is the time to act."

For more great photos visit http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st2/coral/Ireland.pdf