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Introduction

The ACES project was to be a wide environmental baseline assessment of Europe’s deep water coral reefs. The main aims of the study were to ascertain the sensitivities of cold water coral reef systems and identify the most significant conservation measures needed to protect them. Little was known about these coral reefs, or the other life associated with them, in the deep Atlantic waters off the European coasts. The areas identified as having coral systems are coming under increasing pressure from both the fishing and energy sectors. This is mostly due to the exhaustion of supplies in readily accessible inshore waters, which in turn encouraged an advancement of technology to open up the deeper and previously inaccessible areas further offshore.  

Location of study areas

This section of the ACES project aims to examined the fish associated with the coldwater coral reefs in the study area. Four areas were identified for more detailed analysis of coral formations and the fish associated with them. These can be related to the map and correspond to the “study area”. 

• The Norwegian shelf runs in an approximate north – south direction off the west coast of Norway and are known as rich fishing grounds. The Trondheim fjord was of particular interest as it contains coral features within a natural harbour. It is here that the shallowest Lohelia reef has been recorded at 39 m. The Sula Ridge, on the Norwegian Shelf near Trondheim, is an area of extensive coral growth and was until recently the largest area of cold water coral recorded. A larger reef was discovered off Lofoten in 2002. The Norwegians gave the Lofoten reef protection against bottom trawling in January 2003. The reefs are still open to long liners and other nets – it is these fishermen who were perhaps the first campaigners for legislation protecting the reefs from more destructive fishing methods. 

• The Skageerak is an area of the North Sea around southern Norway and Sweden towards the Baltic Sea. The shallow water reefs of the Kosterfjord were examined.  

• The Rockall Trough extends northwards off the west coast of Ireland from the Porcupine areas towards Iceland. The area of greatest interest to ACES is that known as the Darwin Mounds, to the north east of the Trough. Of particular note is the apparently unique feature of the mound tails, orientated as a downstream feature of the mounds. The Hurtside wreck was also in the Rockall area, west of the Shetlands.  

• The Porcupine Slope is a large area off the south west of Ireland. The projects interest in the area relates to the presence of numerous clusters of hundreds of carbonate mounds.

Video footage of the deepwater coral reefs in the four main areas was examined and a new method for fish census surveys in deep waters was developed (Costello et al., 2003 in press). Over 80hrs of video data was examined and fish were identified and counted from the video. In addition, the habitat the fish were in and their behaviour was recorded. Habitats were divided into four zones, reef, transitional, coral debris and seabed after Freiwald (DATE).

Nomenclature in this guide follows Costello et al. (2001) and distribution and common English names of fish have been extrapolated from Whitehead et al. (1989).  This series relates well to the main geographical study area of the present survey.  “The present survey” relates to observation of video footage taken in and around the areas of interest to the ACES project.

Additional fish species associated with deep water coral reefs (recorded by the ACES team), but not recorded as part of the video and stills analysis are included as 'additional species' at the foot of the species list page.

Prepared by: Ecological Consultancy Services Ltd www.ecoserve.ie

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