This Oceana report on deep sea coral destruction is the first ever comprehensive review of deep sea corals produced for the general public.
According to the report, over 231,000 square miles of seafloor habitat off the U.S. coast (an area roughly equivalent to the state of California)--including many stands of irreplaceable deep sea coral--are under pressure each year from destructive bottom trawling.
Corals are living animals that can congregate in spectacular colonies towering up to ten feet tall. Yet these minute animals are extremely slow growing--less than one inch a year--and are ultra-sensitive to disturbance. The report details the need for immediate action to protect corals and other marine life as a way to preserve ocean ecosystems.