“Deep-sea corals form large, complex structures in all U.S. regions, providing habitats for myriad marine species. The Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program is the nations only federal research program dedicated to increasing scientific understanding of deep-sea coral ecosystems and is designed to provide ocean resource managers with scientific studies to inform conservation actions. Begun in 2009, and funded at $2.5M annually in FY 2010 and 2011, the program focuses its resources on priority regions and targeted analyses to maximize its conservation impact while partnering with other programs and organizations to enhance cost-effectiveness. In the 2010-2011 reporting period, the program completed a three-year field study off the southeastern United States. The study revealed deep-sea coral communities never before seen off the eastern and southern coasts of Florida. Protecting deep-sea coral habitats like these is important to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, which has authority for fisheries in federal waters off North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and eastern Florida. The Council and its Coral Advisory Panel partnered with the program in planning and implementing the study, and the programs research findings will enable the Council to refine its coral protection actions while allowing sustainable fisheries to thrive. The program is currently analyzing the data and biological samples collected from the research cruises and will present the final results in 2012 to provide the best available science to the Council in a timely manner.”
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