The UK’s got stunning reefs – and they’re in trouble

It has recently been reported that some of the newly discovered reefs off the coast of the United Kingdom are in danger of being destroyed. The destruction of these reefs is directly related to bottom trawling.

Could it all be gone before we even get to explore them? A scene from a UK coldwater reef © JNCC/Dailymail.co.uk

“Almost every coral reef I’ve been diving on has been severely damaged, particularly those off the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland”
“The main problem is bottom trawling. The gear has got stronger, so the trawler can risk getting closer to reefs, and sometimes they plough straight through. Unlike shallow-water reefs, these reefs don’t have to be strong enough to withstand large waves, and they can’t cope.”
– Dr Jason Hall-Spencer of Plymouth University

In the last few years, researchers have found cold water coral reefs around the UK. The most spectacular lies close to Rockall, an isolated island 200 miles west of Scotland. The reef is more than 3,000 feet below the surface and lies in pitch blackness.

Another has been discovered off Mingulay in the Outer Hebrides, while last year, scientists found a giant reef covering 80 square miles off the west coast of Ireland.

Many of the reefs cover sea mounts – volcanic mountains that rise more than two thirds of a mile from the sea bed. Marine scientists have likened seamount to unexplored islands – each one containing animals never seen before.

You can read the full story over at Dailymail.co.uk