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State of Deep Coral Ecosystems of the US Pacific Coast

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State of Deep Coral Ecosystems of the US Pacific Coast STATE OF DEEP CORAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE PACIFIC COAST REGION STATE OF DEEP CORAL ECOSYSTEMS OF THE U.S. PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA TO WASHINGTON Curt E. Whitmire and M. Elizabeth Clarke I. INTRODUCTION Beginning in the 1960s and continuing into the current period, there has been an increasing use The U.S. Pacific coast marine region of drop camera systems, submersibles and, most encompasses the continental margin off the recently, ROVs to make in situ observations. states of California, Oregon and Washington. These underwater photographic platforms have Deep corals were first reported here in the 1860s been used to explore numerous seafloor features with descriptions by A.E. Verrill, including two in the region including rocky banks (e.g., Pearcy stony corals, Balanophyllia elegans (1864) and et al 1989; Stein et al. 1992; Pirtle 2005; Tissot et Paracyathus stearnsii (1869), and one stylasterid, al. 2006), canyons (e.g., Yoklavich et al. 2000), COAST PACIFIC Allopora californica (1866). Because all three escarpments (e.g., Carey et al. 1990; Clague et of the species occur in shallow waters, it is not al. 2001), seamounts (e.g., DeVogelaere 2005) surprising that they were the first in the region and other rocky features (Hyland et al. 2004; to be reported (Cairns 1994; Ostarello, 1973). Brancato et al. 2007). Many of these features Dall (1884) also provided early descriptions of are known to support deep coral communities. hydrocorals off California and Alaska as well as accounts from fishermen of bycatch of Stylaster The disparate data sources that will be referenced sp. off the Farallone Islands, California as early throughout this report have their strengths as 1873. and weaknesses as they inform discussions of deep coral communities and their habitats. In addition to the taxonomic literature, records For example, trawl surveys in the region are of deep corals in the region come from a variety limited to low relief, sedimentary habitats that of other sources including catch records from support relatively few emergent epifauna as regional bottom trawl surveys, bycatch data compared with hard-bottom habitats (Figure collected by fishery observers and observations 3.1). Consequently, bottom trawls rarely sample from underwater vehicles (e.g., submersibles stony corals and stylasterids, but have resulted and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs)). In the in numerous records of pennatulaceans as well early 1970s, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center as fewer records of gorgonians, black corals (AFSC) began conducting triennial bottom trawl and soft corals (Table 3.1). Furthermore, the surveys of demersal fishes in the region. Early level of identification during trawl surveys varied surveys included records of pennatulaceans and according to the priority given for sampling of a few gorgonians. Unfortunately, identifications invertebrates and the level of expertise of the down to any appreciable taxonomic level were biologists onboard. Despite these limitations, initially very limited, typically only to order or trawl surveys encompassed large portions of sometimes family. In 1998, the Northwest the continental margin (including shelf and Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) began slope depths). Consequently, they contribute conducting annual bottom trawl surveys, but like to discussions of general zoogeography of the early AFSC surveys, identifications of corals some higher coral taxa (e.g., order and family were initially not a priority. levels). On the other hand, in situ photographic surveys in the region primarily target rocky, high relief structures that support diverse benthic Fishery Resource Analysis & Monitoring Division communities, many of which include corals. Northwest Fisheries Science Center Surveys of this type, while limited in extent, National Marine Fisheries Service provide detailed information about the size, 2725 Montlake Blvd. East health and habitat affinities of corals, and their Seattle, WA 98112-2097 relationships between other invertebrates and 109 STATE OF DEEP CORAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE PACIFIC COAST REGION demersal fishes. One limitation of photographic surveys is the challenge of making species- level identifications, however some platforms (e.g., submersibles, ROVs) provide specimen Relative Frequency collection capabilities. 100% Records of deep corals off the U.S. Pacific coast 90% span latitudes between 32 and 49°N and from 80% the shoreline out to the seaward boundary of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), including depth 70% zones from the intertidal down to the bathyal 60% (3900 meters). In total, 101 species of corals 50% from six cnidarian orders have been identified within the EEZ including 18 species of stony 40% corals (Class Anthozoa, Order Scleractinia) from 30% seven families, seven species of black corals 20% (Order Antipatharia) from three families, 36 PACIFIC COAST PACIFIC species of gorgonians (Order Gorgonacea) from 10% 10 families, eight species of true soft corals (Order 0% Alcyonacea) from three families, 27 species Rocky Sedimentary of pennatulaceans (Order Pennatulacea) from eleven families, and five species of stylasterid Figure 3.1. Distribution of general seafloor litholo- corals (Class Hydrozoa, Order Anthoathecatae, gies transected by bottom trawls conducted by the Family Stylasteridae; Appendix 3.1). Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) from 2001-2003 during surveys of groundfish off the coast This chapter includes discussion of deep of Washington, Oregon and California. Only trawls corals in the region and their communities. where the position of the fishing gear was known Brief descriptions of regional geology and were used for analysis. Lithology information for the continental margin off Washington and Oregon oceanography set the stage for discussions was provided by the Active Tectonics and Seafloor of coral zoogeography and general habitat Mapping Lab at Oregon State University. Lithology characteristics. The authors attempted to identify information for off California was provided by the all taxa known to occur in the region, and taxa Center for Habitat Studies at Moss Landing Marine that provide vertical structure as potential habitat Laboratories. for other organisms are highlighted. In addition, the chapter includes a review of potential impacts to corals in the region and related conservation measures enacted to protect coral communities Table 3.1. General statistics on deep corals sampled during National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) bottom trawl surveys, which were conducted off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California by the Alaska and Northwest Fisheries Science Centers between 1980 and 2005. A total of 10,526 trawl catch records were queried. # Trawls with Corals % Trawls with Corals % Coral Records Pennatulaceans 1683 16.0% 74.5% Gorgonians 202 1.9% 8.9% Antipatharians 197 1.9% 8.7% Alcyonaceans 150 1.4% 6.6% Scleractinians 26 0.2% 1.2% Stylasterids 1 <0.1% <0.1% Total 2259 100.0% 110 STATE OF DEEP CORAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE PACIFIC COAST REGION and their habitats. Finally, the authors provide have formed over the past tens of millions of recommendations for future research to improve years by hotspot volcanism and by enhanced our understanding of these organisms. melting in association with the migration of the spreading centers over a heterogeneous mantle (Davis and Karsten 1986). One of the largest II. GEOLOGICAL SETTING seamounts – Davidson – has been the site of several ROV surveys that have discovered a The marine region off the coasts of Washington, diverse coral community (see DeVogelaere Oregon and California accounts for about 7% 2005). A number of additional seamounts that (778,628 km2) of the total area of the U.S. EEZ are known to support deep corals lie just to the (NMFS 2007 in prep). The continental margin in west of the EEZ boundary, including Cobb, Brown this region is characterized by a narrow (5-40 km) Bear, Fieberling and Jasper. shelf and steep continental slope, with the shelf break at approximately 200 meters water depth. Other megascale (i.e., km to 10s of km, Greene The outer continental shelf off Oregon and parts et al. 1999) structural features in the region of California are marked by large rocky banks that contribute hard-bottom habitats include the (Figure 3.2), some of which were at or near the Mendocino and Gorda Ridges (Figure 3.2). The surface during the lower sea level stands of the Mendocino Fracture Zone is a 3000-km long COAST PACIFIC glacial epochs. Several of these banks as well transform fault extending from Cape Mendocino, as other bathymetric features such as pinnacles California across the Pacific Plate. A prominent and seamounts create localized upwelling hard-bottom feature associated with this fault conditions that concentrate nutrients, thus driving is the Mendocino Ridge, which shoals to 1100 a high level of biologic productivity. For example, meters water depth and drops 2100 meters to Heceta Bank, which rises over 100 meters above the north-south trending Gorda Ridge. To the the edge of the continental shelf and to within 70 south, the Mendocino ridge slopes 3300 meters meters of the ocean surface, diverts the main flow to the abyssal plain. In contrast to the Mendocino of the California Current, introducing eddies and Ridge, the Gorda Ridge is a seafloor spreading other instabilities that affect areas downstream center where two plates are moving apart, and along the Oregon coast. Smaller rocky allowing molten magma to rise up to form new banks are located off southern California in oceanic crust. It extends 300 km and is bounded what is called the continental borderlands, a by the Mendocino Fracture Zone to the south geologically complex region characterized by and the Blanco Fracture Zone to the north. The deep basins and elevated ridges, some of which Gorda Ridge rises to a maximum height of >1500 breech the surface to form the Channel Islands. meters above the axial valley floor, which ranges Throughout the region, many of these high relief, from 3200 to >3800 meters water depth. Like bathymetric features have been found to support other spreading centers, hydrothermal vents that coral communities (see Love et al.
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