. Cold-water Coral Reefs: out of sight - no longer out of mind. UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series 22. Cold-water coral reefs Sponges Sponge octocoral communities colonizing dead coral framework Lophetia reef complex 220 m 260 m. Ball-shaped dislocated Lophelia aggregates Figure 10: The Stjernsund Lophelia reef growing along the flank of a sill Modified from Freiwald et al. 1997 et al., 20021. Table 3 lists the mam species that have been observed on cold-water coral reefs, and their commercial significance. Reefs may be attractive for fish In several ways. The complex three-dimensional reef provide
. Cold-water Coral Reefs: out of sight - no longer out of mind. UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series 22. Cold-water coral reefs Sponges Sponge octocoral communities colonizing dead coral framework Lophetia reef complex 220 m 260 m. Ball-shaped dislocated Lophelia aggregates Figure 10: The Stjernsund Lophelia reef growing along the flank of a sill Modified from Freiwald et al. 1997 et al., 20021. Table 3 lists the mam species that have been observed on cold-water coral reefs, and their commercial significance. Reefs may be attractive for fish In several ways. The complex three-dimensional reef provides enhanced feeding possibilities, hiding places and nursery areas (Fossa et al., 2000). Based on experience from several submersible dives to the Sula Reef, it seems that some fish species show distinct subhabltat preferences. The current- exposed reef tops generally have schools of redfish and pollocl<. The fissures and crevices that occur within the dead coral framework subhabltat are frequently occupied by tusk, ling and wolf fish. In the coral rubble lemon sole and monktish are most often seen. Sharks and chimaera show no preferred habitat as they hunt for prey everywhere. In the reef areas, egg capsules of rays are frequently found entangled between live corals or deposited in the dead coral framework. Huseb0 et al. (20021 undertook a quantitative fishing survey using longlines and gillnets in coral and non-coral areas on two sites along the outer shelf off mid- Norway. Redfish, ling and tusk were more abundant and larger within the coral habitat than in non-coral habitats. Stomach analysis showed that redfish fed mostly on zooplankton, whereas ling preferred smaller fish and crustaceans, and tusk preyed upon epibenthic decapods. Since March 1999. the Norwegian Government has prohibited the use of all fishing gear that is dragged and may make contact with the sea floor in the Sula Reef, which thus became the first protected cold-water reef in the northeast Atlantic. An
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