Welfare of Animals in Cold Water Coral Habitats

Cold water coral ecosystems in deep waters provide critical habitat for diverse marine species, and are severely threatened by deep sea trawling with profound welfare implications.

Key Facts

Cold water coral reefs exist at depths of 200-2,000 meters in waters off Norway, Ireland, and the Azores
Lophelia pertusa coral grows less than 1 centimeter per year — making recovery from damage extremely slow
Bottom trawling destroys cold water coral communities that took thousands of years to develop
Protected Areas covering cold water coral habitats exist but enforcement in international waters is limited
Cold water corals support commercially important fish species in their larval and juvenile stages

Welfare Considerations

Cold water coral welfare encompasses both the coral organisms themselves (which are animals capable of nociception) and the diverse fish and invertebrate communities they support. Bottom trawling through cold water coral causes massive, slow-to-recover habitat destruction that eliminates the shelter and food resources of dependent species. Individual fish expelled from destroyed coral habitat face immediate predation exposure. Marine protected area enforcement is the primary welfare intervention.

What You Can Do

Support deep sea marine protected area campaigns through Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
Advocate for prohibition of bottom trawling in all documented cold water coral habitats
Donate to OSPAR Commission campaigns for North Atlantic cold water coral protection
Engage with seafood retailers about their sourcing from bottom-trawled versus coral-aware fisheries