Keratoisis grayi is one of the most abundant large gorgonian corals found off Newfoundland and Labrador, yet we know little regarding the factors influencing its distribution, abundance, and condition. We employed remotely operated vehicle (ROV) transect data collected in three canyons off the Grand Banks, Newfoundland to quantitatively examine the influence of depth, bottom type, canyon, and trawling intensity on K. grayi abundance, height, and condition at small spatial scales. While surveying 105 km of seafloor with a ROV, we observed 5770 K. grayi colonies and 167 trawl marks. We found that K. grayi were significantly more likely to occur in boulder areas than in cobble or gravel. Bottom depth related positively and significantly with colony height and our models predict that the largest bamboo coral colonies occur in boulders in Halibut Channel, and in boulders and cobble in Haddock Channel. The majority of colonies observed were alive and undamaged, but tipped, broken, dead and partially dead colonies were also recorded. K. grayi were more likely to occur in trawled areas, but these colonies were more likely to be damaged, broken, smaller in size, and less abundant than colonies outside trawled areas. These results demonstrate a negative impact of bottom trawling on K. grayi colonies off Newfoundland and Labrador and that fishers may specifically target areas where these corals occur.

In 2016, a search for macroand microhydrocarbon seeps aboard Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Amundsen in Saglek Basin included integration of multi-beam sonar bathymetric survey with data and samples collected by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and box-cores. Although the focus of research is on the interdependance of various earth system constituent elements, the observation and findings are potentially relevant to petroleum exploration.

Deep-sea corals are the structural foundation of their ecosystems along continental margins worldwide, yet the factors driving their broad distribution are poorly understood. Environmental factors, especially depth-related variables including water mass properties, are thought to considerably affect the realized distribution of deep-sea corals. These factors are governed by local and regional oceanographic conditions that directly influence the dispersal of larvae, and therefore affect the ultimate distribution of adult corals. We used molecular barcoding of mitochondrial and nuclear sequences to identify species of octocorals in the genus Paramuricea collected from the Labrador Sea to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Canada at depths of 150–1500m. The results of this study revealed overlapping bathymetric distributions of the Paramuricea species present off the eastern Canadian coast, including the presence of a few cryptic species previously designated as Paramuricea placomus. The distribution of Paramuricea species in the western North Atlantic differs from the Gulf of Mexico, where five Paramuricea species exhibit strong segregation by depth. The different patterns of Paramuricea species in these contrasting biogeographic regions provide insight into how water mass structure may shape species distribution. Investigating Paramuricea prevalence and distribution in conjunction with oceanographic conditions can help demonstrate the factors that generate and maintain deep-sea biodiversity.

Keratoisis is a genus of bamboo coral commonly reported in the northwest (NW) Atlantic as a result of fishing bycatch or by in situ observations. In 1999, a scientific trawl survey recovered fragments of Keratoisis sp. in southeast Baffin Bay (NW Atlantic), but colonies had never been seen in situ at this location until 2013, when a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was used to survey this location. Here we report the presence of dense forests of Keratoisis sp. in a muddy environment at depths >900 m. Colonies were found as dense patches up to ~55 m long along the ROV track and were estimated to reach ~1 m in height. At this location, Keratoisis sp. appears to have branched root-like structures probably used for anchorage on mud. The majority of colonies were alive, but fragments of dead colonies were also observed, especially in the path of the 1999 bottom trawl tow. Based on visual observation, the dense stands of Keratoisis sp. in this environment seem to form structure and habitat for other invertebrates and fishes in an otherwise mainly muddy environment.

Growth rates and longevity are key factors in assessing the vulnerability of many invertebrates to anthropogenic disturbance. Sea pens are benthic invertebrates frequently entrained as fisheries bycatch, but whose growth (recovery) rates are poorly known. Here, longevity and growth rates were estimated for the deep-water sea pen Halipteris finmarchica from the Northwest Atlantic and compared to those published for Halipteris willemoesi from the Bering Sea. Axes were cross sectioned to visualise growth rings and estimate longevity and growth rates. Chronology of growth rings was examined with trace element microanalysis of Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca, Ba/Ca and Na/Ca in the axis using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. The relationship between growth rates and environmental variables was investigated. The number of rings ranged from 13 to 22 among 26 colonies. Trace element microanalysis yielded a number of elemental ratio peaks comparable to the number of rings visually determined. Diametric growth rates were significantly smaller than those published for H. willemoesi, while linear growth rates (extension in height) were not different. No significant relationships were detected between growth rates and environmental variables for H. finmarchica. Our data suggest that H. finmarchica is a slow-growing, relatively long-lived organism whose recovery from damage can take over 20 years.

The deep-sea pennatulacean coral Anthoptilum grandiflorum exhibits a cosmopolitan distribution and was recently determined to serve as habitat for other invertebrates and fish larvae in the northwest Atlantic. Colonies collected at bathyal depths between 2006 and 2010 in eastern Canada were analysed to determine their fecundity and characterize spatial and temporal trends in their reproductive cycle. Anthoptilum grandiflorum is a gonochoric broadcast spawner with a sex ratio that does not differ significantly from equality (although one hermaphrodite colony was observed). In male colonies, all the spermatocysts synthesized become mature over the annual cycle, while only ~21 % of the initial production of oocytes reaches maturity in female colonies. Female potential fecundity based on mature oocytes just before spawning was on average 13 oocytes polyp−1; male potential fecundity was 48 spermatocysts polyp−1. The spawning period of A. grandiflorum differs between geographic regions, from April (in southern Newfoundland) to July (in Labrador), closely following regional spring phytoplankton blooms after accounting for the deposition of planktic detritus. Release of oocytes by a live colony held in the laboratory was recorded in April 2011, coincident with field data for similar latitudes. Seawater temperatures at the time of spawning were around 3.6–4.8 °C in all regions and in the laboratory. Early stages of gametogenesis were detected in colonies collected shortly after the spawning season, and early and late growth stages occurred successively until December. Mature colonies were observed between April and July (depending on latitude). The diameter of mature oocytes (~1,100 μm maximum diameter) is consistent with lecithotrophic larval development.

As a consequence of the decline of numerous commercial fish populations, an ecosystem‐based approach to fisheries management, which includes the protection of essential fish habitat (EFH), has emerged. Cold‐water coral (CWC) sites are recognized as biodiversity hotspots, but numerous examples of CWC destruction and degradation as a result of anthropogenic activities are well documented. However, although functional connections between CWCs and fish stocks are suspected, based on correlative evidence, proof of any close or direct relationship identifying CWCs as EFH is still lacking. Here, we provide evidence of the utilization of CWCs by fish larvae, mainly those of redfish (Sebastes spp). In multiyear surveys, fish larvae were consistently found closely associated with five species of sea pen (Octocorallia: Pennatulacea) in April and May. Prevalence and/or yields of fish larvae varied with coral host species, depth, location, and colony size. Evidence of the role of CWCs in the early life history of some fish species provides the strongest argument yet for the categorization of CWCs as EFH in the design of management programs.

Deep-sea corals are fragile and long-lived species that provide important habitat for a variety of taxa. The rarity of in situ observations in deep waters off Newfoundland, Canada, motivated the first extensive deep-sea research cruise to that region in 2007. We conducted 7 dives in 3 canyons (Haddock Channel, Halibut Channel, and Desbarres Canyon) with ROPOS (Remotely Operated Platform for Ocean Science). Over 160 000 coral colonies were enumerated and, of the 28 species found, Acanella arbuscula, Pennatula spp., and Flabellum spp. were most frequently observed. The largest coral observed was Keratoisis grayi at over 2 m in height. Corals spanned the entire depth range sampled (351 to 2245 m) and inhabited all bottom types surveyed, but boulder and cobble habitats were most species-rich. Assemblages differed significantly with depth class and bottom type. The unique assemblage at outcrops was strongly driven by the presence of Desmophyllum dianthus. Keratoisis grayi, D. dianthus, and Anthomastus spp. were largely absent in mud-sand habitats. Sea pen meadows covered large tracts of muddy seafloor spanning >1 km. Acanella arbuscula and Flabellum spp. characterised large coral fields with abundant corals but relatively low species richness. These results highlight not only the importance of hard structure in determining patterns of coral distributions, abundances, and assemblages, but also the need to focus conservation efforts on a variety of habitats to ensure protection for the full suite of deep-sea coral species.

Deep-sea fishes are the target of directed fisheries and are considered a conservation concern. Yet, we still know little about the factors that affect deep-sea fish distributions and assemblage patterns on relatively small spatial scales. We used results from remotely operated vehicle surveys that observed 105km (∼346 960m2) of seafloor over a depth range of 351–2245m in three canyons off Newfoundland to examine the occurrence, behavior, habitat specificity, and regional assemblage patterns of deep-sea fishes in this region. We found distinct assemblages based on both depth and habitat classifications. The most obvious unique assemblage was that associated with outcrops, which served as habitat for relatively rare species such as Neocyttus helgae, Hoplostethus atlanticus, and Lepidion eques. Several coral habitats hosted distinct assemblages when compared to other habitats with low or medium structural complexity. Our results illustrate that any program targeted at protecting deep-sea ecosystems must protect a wide-range of habitats and depths to conserve a variety of fish species and assemblages.

Geological features supporting cold-water coral habitat in Atlantic Canada are reviewed and exemplified using qualitative field observations from the Scotian margin and Southwest Grand Banks, Newfoundland, in the context of regional geology of the Atlantic Canadian continental margin. Coral habitats are concentrated in areas of shelf-crossing troughs and trough-mouth fans associated with glacial ice streams. Most habitat types are supported by glacial or glaciomarine depositional features, although some are supported by erosional features, probably related to subglacial meltwater erosion. Shelf-break and upper continental slope moraine deposits, subject to strong currents, form current-swept cobble-boulder pavements, forming the principal habitats for the large gorgonian corals Primnoa resedaeformis and Paragorgia arborea. At greater depths, upper slope till tongues are upper continental slope gravelly mud deposits, exposed at the surface as isolated cobbles and boulders in a muddy sand matrix. Common skeletal corals in these environments include the large long-lived gorgonian Keratoisis ornata, the smaller gorgonian Acanthogorgia armata, and, in muddy sand between rocks, the small gorgonian Acanella arbuscula. Erosional environments including friable Tertiary mudstones and semi-consolidated Quaternary sediments, colonized by large gorgonians and other corals, were observed in The Gully, the Stone Fence, and the Southwest Grand Banks. Weak bedrock strength may limit the size of large gorgonian coral colonies. Authigenic carbonate crusts, possibly related to cold seeps, may be locally important in supporting coral growth. Predictive models of coral distribution should consider Quaternary and surficial geology.

New data on deep-water corals and sponges are presented based on Spanish/EU and Canadian bottom trawl groundfish surveys for the period 2008-2010 in order to make these data available to the NAFO WGEAFM and improve the mapping of sensitive species in the NAFO Regulatory area (Divs. 3LMNO). “Significant” catches (according to the NAFO definition from groundfish surveys) of deep-water corals and sponges are provided and mapped together with the areas closed in 2010. Most of the significant catches of sponges (88%) are inside of the closed areas, meanwhile for corals the results are different according to the group considered. For large gorgonians the 40% are inside, for small gorgonians the 25% and for sea pens all the significant catches recorded are outside of the closed areas.

A review of over 500 taxa known to occur in the NRA revealed three additional faunal groups (additional to NAFO 2008a) that meet the criteria for a VME indicator based on traits related to functional significance, fragility, and the life-history traits of component species that produce a slow recovery to disturbance. These are crinoids, erect bryozoans and large sea squirts. For each group it is the dense aggregations (beds/fields) that are considered to be VME in order to establish functional significance. Although each group is present in the NRA, data to date have not revealed any concentrations of note with the exception of one catch of the stalked tunicate Boltenia ovifera (large sea squirt). Black corals were considered to be VME indicators by NAFO based on what was then known of their distribution. These were included based on the uniqueness/rarity criterion of habitats of rare, threatened or endangered species that occur only in discrete areas, however evaluation of their distribution using trawl survey, rock dredge and underwater video has indicated that they have widespread occurrence at low densities in the NRA and along the continental slopes off Labrador. However, because they are thought to be extremely long-lived and therefore ‘iconic’ if not rare, we have identified where the highest frequency of occurrence is for this taxon. Lastly, based on NEREIDA multibeam bathymetry we have identified more canyon heads, steep flanks and new seamounts in the NRA as possible VME elements. 1.

1 Fisheries and Oceans, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia, Vigo, Spain 3 Fisheries and Oceans, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Center, St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Biology Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Gronlands Fiskerilicenskontrol, Greenland Home Rule, Nuuk, Greenland Knipovich Polar Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography, Murmansk, Russian Federation 7 NAFO Secretariat, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

With the aim of understanding of the trophic ecology of cold-water corals, this paper explores the tissue δ13C and δ15N values of 11 ‘coral’ species (8 alcyonacean, 1 antipatharian, 1 pennatulacean, 1 scleractinian) collected along the Newfoundland and Labrador continental slope. Isotopic results delimit species along continua of trophic level and food lability. With an isotopic signature similar to macrozooplankton, Paragorgia arborea occupies the lowest trophic level and most likely feeds on fresh phytodetritus. Primnoa resedaeformis occupies a slightly higher trophic level, likely supplementing its diet with microzooplankton. Bathypathes arctica, Pennatulacea and other alcyonaceans (Acanella arbuscula, Acanthogorgia armata, Anthomastus grandiflorus, Duva florida, Keratoisis ornata, Paramuricea sp.) had higher δ13C and δ15N values, suggesting these species feed at higher trophic levels and on a greater proportion of more degraded POM. Flabellum alabastrum had an isotopic signature similar to that of snow crab, indicating a primarily carnivorous diet. Isotopic composition did not vary significantly over a depth gradient of 50–1400m. Coral δ13C increased slightly (<1‰) from the Hudson Strait to the southern Grand Banks, but δ15N did not. By modulating the availability and quality of suspended foods, substrate likely exerts a primary influence on the feeding habits of cold-water corals.

The degree of association between groundfish and corals in Newfoundland and Labrador waters was analyzed on spatial scales of hundreds of kilometers. Groundfish diversity and abundance of ten groundfish species and two invertebrate species were compared with deep-sea coral distributions using standardized stock assessment trawl surveys conducted between September 2003 and October 2005. Standardized trawl survey data were stratified by depth and by five coral classes defined by large gorgonians, small gorgonians, seapens and/or cup corals, soft corals, and absence of all corals. Groundfish species richness was highest in sets containing small gorgonians. Various fish species were most abundant in coral-defined classes in specific depth ranges, but no coral class had significantly higher fish abundances than other coral classes at all depths. For several species, numerical abundance was greatest in one coral class at shallow depth, but wet weight per tow was greatest in a different coral class or depth, or both. Coral-structured environments may be important to fish and crustaceans at different life history stages. Although relationships between corals and groundfish or invertebrates are not obligate and may result from coincidence, conservation areas established for corals may effectively protect populations of groundfish, including some commercial species.http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/umrsmas/00074977/v81n3x1/s11.pdf?expires=1508230591&id=91628766&titleid=10983&accname=Thomson+Reuters+Publ+Proc+Dept&checksum=CB156E689962207CEFE8DF2160A13C02

Deep-sea corals were mapped using incidental by-catch samples from stock assessment surveys and fisheries observations. Thirteen alcyonaceans, two antipatharians, four solitary scleractinians, and 11 pennatulaceans were recorded. Corals were broadly distributed along the continental shelf edge and slope, with most species found deeper than 200 m; only nephtheid soft corals were found on the shelf. Large branching corals with robust skeletons included Paragorgia arborea (Linnaeus, 1758), Primnoa resedaeformis (Gunnerus, 1763), Keratoisis ornata (Verrill, 1878), Acanthogorgia armata (Verrill, 1878), Paramuricea spp., and two antipatharians. Coral distributions were highly clustered, with most co-occurring with other species. Scientific survey data delineated two broad coral species richness hotspots: southwest Grand Bank (16 spp.) and an area of the Labrador slope between Makkovik Bank and Belle Isle Bank (14 spp.). Fisheries observations indicated abundant or diverse corals off southeast Baffin Island, Cape Chidley, Labrador, Tobin's Point, and the Flemish Cap. Corals on the Flemish Cap comprised exclusively soft coral, sea pens, and solitary scleractinians. Most coral-rich areas were suggested in earlier research based on stock assessment surveys or Local Environmental Knowledge (LEK). Currently there are no conservation measures in place to protect deep-sea coral in this region.http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/umrsmas/00074977/v81n3x1/s25.pdf?expires=1508232331&id=91629035&titleid=10983&accname=Thomson+Reuters+Publ+Proc+Dept&checksum=E6CFC0CCB9E98FD57EAB99CE7B3289BA

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