Designing management measures to protect cold-water corals off Nova Scotia, Canada

In 2002, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) implemented its first fisheries closure to protect cold-water corals. The Northeast Channel Coral Conservation Area, southwest of Nova Scotia, was put in place to protect concentrations of gorgonian corals. Since then, DFO has established the Gully Marine Protected Area, which includes cold-water coral habitats, and implemented another fisheries closure (the Lophelia Coral Conservation Area) to protect a small, damaged Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus, 1758) reef complex. The design criteria and the management measures used in each area were different and the activities that are permitted vary. These differences reflect the circumstances particular to each area, as well as evolving knowledge of protecting coral habitats. The lessons learned in establishing the marine protected area and coral conservation areas have been applied to the development of a coral conservation plan for the region. Experience to date suggests that protecting cold-water coral areas may require a variety of approaches, even within a single jurisdiction.