Newswise — The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has recently proposed to designate more than 23,000 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean, stretching from North Carolina to Florida, as protected.
Steve Ross, associate research professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Center for Marine Science, has participated in more than 60 dives to document the reefs. The information collected by the researchers has led to the discovery of several new species of fish and crustaceans. He is available for comment on the importance of protecting these ancient coral reefs and the wealth of information researchers are finding through their studies of this fragile ecosystem.
"What we are finding is that we not only didn't know how much habitat was down there, but that it had a lot of hidden new species that nobody knew about. The deep water reefs are irreplaceable. Once destroyed, it may be impossible for them to reestablish themselves," said Ross.
If approved, this area of coral reefs would be only the second group off the southeastern coast listed as protected.
RSS