Original: English English only

Agenda Item 6

IMPACT 98/6/NGO.1-E Original: English English only

OSPAR CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT OF THE NORTH-EAST ATLANTIC

WORKING GROUP ON IMPACTS ON THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT (IMPACT)

LONDON (SECRETARIAT): 22 – 25 SEPTEMBER 1998


Lophelia pertusa – a cold water coral¹
Submitted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Background

1. IMPACT 1998 evaluates a UK literature review with regard to the roles of different habitat types in the ecological functioning and the integrity of the marine and coastal ecosystems, focusing on six specific habitat types. IMPACT 1998 is going to adopt an approach for undertaking further reviews.

2. To illustrate the importance of deep sea habitats, WWF submit their recent briefing on the cold water coral Lophelia pertusa .

Action requested

3. IMPACT is invited to take note of the information attached which justifies measures to protect Lophelia pertusa and its associated communities.

*) Factsheet published by WWF UK in 1998 - also see WWF video presentation Cold Water Coral Reefs - Treasures of the North-East Atlantic to OSPAR and/or IMPACT 1998

1 Secretariat note: WWF would like to show the following video during IMPACT 1998:

Cold Water Coral Reefs - Treasures of the North-East Atlantic Silent movie from 300 m depth. Video sequence kindly provided by Dr Andre Freiwald of the Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen and Dr John Wilson of the Holloway College, University of London - 1998

Total running time: 10 minutes
An extraordinary, 13km long coral reef on the Sula Ridge off the west coast of Norway is explored into detail by means of manned submersible dives. WWF recommends safeguarding this offshore site in accordance with Annex V to the OSPAR Convention and the Strategy on the Protection and Conservation of the Ecosystems and Biological Diversity of the Maritime Area. - Coral reefs are generally thought to be the fascination of Southern seas and tropical areas. However, even north of the 20 degrees (#161#C) isotherme along the continental shelf break zones of Europe, large cold water coral reefs exist in some hundred meters depth. These reefs are built up by the stone coral Lophelia pertusa and colonised by a large number of soft corals and other sessile invertebrates. The deep sea cold water coral reefs of the North-East Atlantic are inhabited by some hundred different species and provide shelter and nursery for key commercial fish species such as ocean perch.

OSPAR Commission IMPACT 98/6/NGO.1-E