The alphabet soup that protects cold-water corals in the North Atlantic

Abstract

Canada, the European Union, and the United States, amongst others, recognize the importance of habitat-forming biota such as cold-water corals to a host of associated ecologically and/or commercially important species including fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. These species and the ecological services they provide are important to the peoples surrounding the North Atlantic (i.e. the Atlantic Ocean north of the equator). There are several different legal and/or regulatory tools available to ensure that cold-water corals in the North Atlantic are protected along with the ecological services they provide. Through such tools, many protected areas have been designated or are under consideration in the North Atlantic to protect cold-water coral habitats. Although the designation and labeling varies, e.g. National Marine Conservation Area (Canada), Special Area of Conservation (European Union), or Habitat Area of Particular Concern (USA), all of these designations aim to provide protection into the future to vulnerable habitats like cold-water corals.