Ron Bender Wrote:
<<I recently bought a 'weird shell' on eBay and it turns out to be a
solitary coral. (Peggy Williams identified it for me). Does any one know
the frequency of solitary corals as opposed to colonies? Please respond
on Conch-L if you feel it is of general interest, other wise - to me at [log in to unmask]
Thanks in advance,
Ron Bender - Olympia, WA>>
Guess what? The so-called "solitary" corals are in fact the deep-water
corals everyone is talking about these days - they are found in every
ocean, at depths ranging down to 2 km, and are usually decidedly
colonial in their habits, forming highly productive coral "banks", or in
some cases, incredible deep-sea "forests", which comprise several
species of corals, and a rich variety of marine orgainisms. These
deep-water "coral forests" are most probably vital componants of the
ecosytems that keep many stocks of bottom-dwelling fish healthy and
productive, yet they are being destroyed at an acellerating (never could
spell that word!) rate, by trawling operations run by people who don't
care the tiniest bit for the future of any particular resource, so long
as they can make a profit today (and abbeted by inefficient, oh heck,
i'll can the rhetoric - suffice it to say they are highly endangered in
many parts of the world.).
For some great sites telling about these corals, check out the
following 6 sites:
For more information or to offer support, contact:
Derek P. Jones
Canadian Ocean Habitat Protection Society
Box 13, Newellton, Nova Scotia
Canada BOW 1PO
Tel: (902) 745-2950
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://cohps.atlantisforce.org
USEFUL LINKS
References on Gorgonian Coral Growth rates
http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/bib/gorgonians.html
Ecology Action Centre report on Northern Corals
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/EAC/coral.html
Dalhousie University website depicting deep ocean corals off Nova Scotia
http://biotype.biology.dal.ca/biotype/1998/dec98/coral.html
Department of Fisheries and Oceans' Oceans Act Coordination Office
http://www.gfc.dfo.ca/science/oceans_act/eng
Ocean Voice International - Trawlers are stripmining the ocean
http://www.ens.lycos.com/ens/dec98/1998L-12-23-03.html
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