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SAMS Scientist Lyndsey Dodds with live coral sample from Mingulay Reef complex, Inner Hebrides Islands, UK.
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The expedition to the Mingulay reef, located in around 150m of water
off the west coast of Scotland, will provide vital scientific data on
one of the biggest cold-water coral reef complexes so far discovered in
UK waters.
During the expedition, which set off from Greenock, near Glasgow, on 12 May, scientists will also be looking for any evidence of damage to the reef. Although the extent of any damage to the Mingulay reef is currently unknown, coral habitats around the world face many threats - particularly from destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling.
Bottom trawlers drag heavily weighted fishing nets across the seabed - effectively steamrolling the ocean floor and smashing everything in the way.
Bottom trawling is the number one threat to fragile cold-water coral
structures, which provide habitats for a diverse range of species
including fish, sponges, starfish, sea urchins and crustaceans.
Lophelia reefs also serve as important fish spawning and nursery
grounds. It takes one year for Lophelia to grow 2.5cm. It takes just
one typical fishing trip for a bottom trawler to sweep approximately 33
square kilometres of the seabed.
We are calling for a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling to protect ocean life.
More info
Meet the team and join the expedition through the Esperanza weblog.
Video
Watch the computer-generated video and "fly" over the reef
ROV feature - explore the reef and see what the ROV has found so far!
During the expedition, which set off from Greenock, near Glasgow, on 12 May, scientists will also be looking for any evidence of damage to the reef. Although the extent of any damage to the Mingulay reef is currently unknown, coral habitats around the world face many threats - particularly from destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling.
Bottom trawlers drag heavily weighted fishing nets across the seabed - effectively steamrolling the ocean floor and smashing everything in the way.
The Scottish Marine Association's ROV, on board the Esperanza.
We are calling for a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling to protect ocean life.
More info
Meet the team and join the expedition through the Esperanza weblog.
Video
Watch the computer-generated video and "fly" over the reef
ROV feature - explore the reef and see what the ROV has found so far!
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