Scientists from the UK, France and Norway are calling for immediate controls to stop damaging fishing practices in the Northeast Atlantic, where spectacular coral reefs are being smashed to pieces by unregulated, deep-sea bottom trawling.

The scientists' research - published tomorrow (26 February) by The Royal Society* shows that these large and diverse coral reefs are more than 4,500 years old and are suffering wide-scale fishing damage.

Commercial interests in offshore oil reserves have prompted extensive surveys of the northeast Atlantic continental shelf break area over recent years. Deep-sea submersibles are now revealing large, colourful and spectacular coral communities off Ireland, Scotland and Norway.

Detailed study of these reefs has only just begun, yet seabed photographs, acoustic surveys and analyses of commercial trawls show trawl scars up to 4km long, damaged habitats, dragged rocks and turned-over sediment among these ancient reefs. By-catches from commercial trawls included large pieces of coral that had been broken from reefs and a diverse array of coral-associated flora and fauna.

Dr Jason Hall-Spencer, working at the University of Glasgow and Millport Marine Station, says: "Most of us associate coral reefs with warm, well-lit waters off tropical coasts - it surprises many that the grey, northeast Atlantic has these amazing reefs. Heavy trawls are bringing up coral that has been in place for thousands of years. We urgently need improved management of offshore areas world-wide both to protect ancient deep-water habitats and the fish that they support."

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

• For further information contact the Press Office on 0141 330 3535
• Or contact Dr Hall-Spencer at: j.hall-spencer@bio.gla.ac.uk
• *'The Royal Society?s latest edition of Proceedings B - Trawling damage to Northeast Atlantic ancient coral reefs' by Jason Hall-Spencer, Valerie Allain and Jan Helge Fossa
• A high resolution version of the illustration is available by double-clicking on the image.

First published: 25 February 2002