. Cold-water Coral Reefs: out of sight - no longer out of mind. UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series 22. Cold-water coral reefs Executive summary Over the last few decades the exploration of deep-water environments using new technologies has revealed in- sights into parts of our planet that challenge conventional wisdom. Coral reefs, once thought to be restricted to warm shallow waters In tropical and subtropical regions, have been found found in dark, cold, nutrient-rich waters off the coasts of 41 countries so far. They occur in fjords, along the edge of the continental shelf and around offshore su
. Cold-water Coral Reefs: out of sight - no longer out of mind. UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series 22. Cold-water coral reefs Executive summary Over the last few decades the exploration of deep-water environments using new technologies has revealed in- sights into parts of our planet that challenge conventional wisdom. Coral reefs, once thought to be restricted to warm shallow waters In tropical and subtropical regions, have been found found in dark, cold, nutrient-rich waters off the coasts of 41 countries so far. They occur in fjords, along the edge of the continental shelf and around offshore sub- marine banks and seamounts In almost all the world's oceans and seas. To date, most studies have been carried out in high latitudes, where cold-water reefs occur at depths of hundreds of metres to just iO metres. However, cold-water corals are increasingly being observed in the tropics, where they thrive at greater depths. Reef-bullding and habitat-forming corals in cold waters are derived from several systematic groups. The most important of these are the colonial stony corals IScleractinia), true soft corals lOctocorallial, black corals lAntipatharial and calcifying lace corals iHydrozoal. Several species of these groups create reefs and three- dimensional, forest-like structures on the sea floor, comparable to their warm-water cousins In size and com- plexity These cold-water reefs and structures act like islands in the normally flat, featureless and muddy surroundings and harbour a distinct and rich ecosystem, providing niches and nursery grounds for a variety of species. Including commercial fish species. Cold-water coral ecosystems are long lived, slow growing and fragile, which makes them especially vulner- able to physical damage. Regardless of the depth at which these reefs occur, the impact of human activities Is evident in almost every survey undertaken. Bottom fisheries, especially using trawls and heavy gear, have already destroyed or scarred several reefs, and
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