Coral & Sponge Conservation Strategy for Eastern Canada 2015

Table of Contents

• Complete Text
• Executive Summary
• Acronyms
• Introduction
• Purpose of the Strategy
• Why Protect Corals and Sponges?
• Geographic Scope
• International Context
• Canadian Context
• Status of Coral and Sponge Conservation in Eastern Canada
• Research on Corals and Sponges in Eastern Canada
• Objectives
• Targets and Actions
• Development and Implementation
• References
• Appendix A: Biology of Corals and Sponges in Eastern Canada
• Appendix B: Challenges for Coral and Sponge Conservation
• Appendix C: Management Measures
• Appendix D: Ecological Risk Assessment Framework
• Appendix E: Relevant Publications
• Contact Information

International Context

Canada is signatory to a number of binding and non-binding commitments related to coral and sponge conservation. The protection of deep-sea fish stocks and vulnerable habitats in which they live is a fundamental consideration towards implementing successful conservation efforts. Due to the importance of corals and sponges in the benthic ecosystem, a number of these agreements focus on coral and sponge conservation, forming a catalyst for management actions. Table 1 outlines some of the international commitments Canada has taken part in, and provides a description of some of the ways in which these commitments link to coral and sponge or benthic conservation.

This two column table describes Canada’s international commitments related to coral and sponge conservation. Column 1 lists the Commitments, and a description of each commitment is provided in column 2.