January 2002
Few people are aware of the fact, but there are scores of coral reefs in the Atlantic Ocean around Europe. They support a rich marine life and are in urgent need of protection.
Up to half of all the coral reefs in the North-East Atlantic have been damaged by trawling, say Norwegian scientists. But, according to Jan Helge Fosså, from Norway's Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, many fishermen in recent years have helped the conservation process by reporting the damage to the reefs. There is also a threat from oil, gas and mineral exploration; in fact, most of the initial knowledge of the whereabouts of the reefs came during oil and gas prospecting.
Read WWF's full web feature on cold water corals in the North Atlantic!
WWF Publication "Fishing Madness - 101 reasons why the Common Fisheries Policy needs radical reform
Download maps of reefs in the NE Atlantic
Detailed information about the Sula Reef in Norwegian waters
Detailed information about the Darwin Mounds in UK waters