Marine Invertebrates – Sponge Reefs

description data sources This atlas page displays the distribution of the globally unique hexactinellid sponge reefs. The hexactinellid sponge reefs in the Canadian • Natural Resources Canada – Hexactinellid Sponge Reefs Pacific Ocean are over 9,000 years old but were not discovered until the late 1980s. data resolution Sponges are sessile (immobile) animals that live their life in one place, obtaining food particles by filtering water. More than 7,000 species • The original multibeam bathymetry data that was used to create the sponge reef polygons has a resolution of five metres. of sponges are alive today in both fresh and marine waters. The sponge reefs found in Canada’s Pacific waters are comprised of one of three species of Hexactinosan (glass) sponges that grow upon a framework of the siliceous skeletons of dead sponges, usually found in deep waters date collected along the continental shelf where there are nutrient-rich waters, cold temperatures and little to no sediment accumulation. Although the species of sponges can be found elsewhere, the bioherms, or reef complexes, are not, making these the only documented examples of living • 2005-2008 hexactinellid sponge reefs in the world. reviewers Some of the largest and best-known reefs can be found in Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound, and smaller reefs have been discovered • Not reviewed. in the Strait of Georgia and off the coast of Washington. The approximate area of all reefs in British Columbia is over 1000 square kilometres, and they are known to rise up to 19 metres from the sea floor. The reefs provide habitat for a variety of marine species. Their role as rich and reviewer comments protective habitats for other organisms makes the sponge reefs hotspots of biodiversity and, therefore, ecologically important. • None provided.

caveats of use • Survey effort is not consistent across all planning units or across all areas of the coast. Areas with no data may not have been surveyed and these data gaps are not necessarily indicative of an absence of sponge reefs. • Recommended date of expiry for use of these data in a marine planning context: None provided.

map, feature data and metadata access • Visit www.bcmca.ca/data for more information.

references More information on the sponge reefs can be found in:

PHOTO: LIVING OCEANS SOCIETY PHOTO: OCEANS LIVING • Conway, K. W., M. Krautter, J. V. Barrie, and M. Neuweiler. Hexactinellid sponge reefs on the Canadian continental shelf: A unique “living fossil.”. Geoscience Canada 28. 2001. 65–72. • Krautter, M., K. W. Conway, J. V. Barrie, and M. Neuweiler. Discovery of a “living Dinosaur”: Globally unique modern hexactinellid sponge reefs off British Columbia, Canada. Facies 44. 2001. 265–282.

www.bcmca.ca Marine Atlas of Pacific Canada 142°W 140°W 138°W 136°W 134°W 132°W 130°W 128°W 126°W 124°W 122°W

BCMCA Atlas A l a s k a r e Marine Invertebrates v i R s N Sponge Reefs s °

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v i R Sponge Reef Distribution

na e e Sk N ° 4 H a i d a 5

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P A C I F I C R i v e r N ° 0 5 O C E A N Data Sources: Natural Resources Canada

Base Data: ESRI Base Data, GeoBase, GeoBC, NOAA, Natural Resources Canada, N

° USGS, Washington State Government

V a n c o u v e r 0 5 Inset Map 1:500,000* I s l a n d Thematic Data: For more information on data sources and methods please refer to the facing page to this map

Projection: BC Albers NAD83

N 0 25 50 75 100 125 150 ° 8 4 Kilometres 0 25 50 75

Nautical Miles

1:4,250,000 * N

° * Written scales are approximate and 8

4 are based on a 11 x 17 inch paper size.

Prepared for: W a s h i n g t o n N ° 6 4 Note: The inset has been provided to illustrate the level of detail available in the data. The inset is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any significance Map template by Caslys Consulting Ltd. to this region. June 3, 2010

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