What is the impact of overfishing on marine habitat loss in northwest atlantic
Figure 7 - Diagram of the bottom trawling process on the sea floor. Figure 7. Don Foley [Untitled Infographic of bottom trawling]. Retrieved from http://www.constantinealexander.net/2015/01/deeper-seafloor-habitats-most-at-risk-from-bottom-trawling.html
Every year, the use of invasive fishing gear, such as bottom trawlers and dredges, destroys sections of the ocean floor that are "twice the size of the United States."
This fishing gear bulldozes the ocean floor in an effort to catch bottom-feeding seafood. In the process, vital marine habitats and underwater structures are destroyed; effectively harming countless marine organisms who no longer have sufficient shelter.
The Northwest Atlantic Ocean, along the continental shelf and in the Gulf of Maine, was once home to large and diverse coral reefs. These corals provided important spawning and feeding grounds for a large number of marine organisms.
These NW Atlantic corals have been destroyed by the invasive fishing gear and are now only found in deep, submarine canyons and in the outer continental shelf, away from the present threat of this equipment.
Because these corals are slow-growing and live for thousands of year, it takes an extraordinary amount of time to recover from damage and removal
Figure 8 Shows the bottom of the trawled sea floor at Manning Seamount, located off the coast of New England. Figure 8. Rhian Waller and the DASS05 team. (Untitled Photograph). Retrieved from http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/06/24/clear-cutting-the-seafloor/
Figure 9 - Left: Cold-water coral in NW Atlantic before area was trawled.
Figure 10 - Right: Image of same area after trawling occurred. Figures 9 & 10. NOAA/Oceania. (Untitled photograph). Retrieved from http://oceanicatimes.blogspot.com/