NOAA Releases Action plan for Deep Sea Corals

The State of Deep Coral Ecosystems of the United States

It's a little more than most people will ever dive to, but it's still a beautiful and threatened ecosystem. There's even a chapter on the Northeast. There are full color illustrations, and each region is available as a seperate download or as the entire pdf.

The report discusses the vulnerability of deep corals to human activities and identifies the current threats to these habitats. This new understanding has prompted increased calls for protection of deep coral habitats in the U.S. and around the world. The report documents recent management actions by NOAA and the Regional Fishery Management Councils to protect over one half million square miles of the seafloor in the Pacific, including unique deep coral habitats, from damage by bottom-trawling.

The State of Deep Coral Ecosystems of the United States
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/dce.html