Cold-Water Corals and Ecosystems
Following the exciting exploration of hot vent and cold seep ecosystems, the rediscovery of cold-water coral ecosystems with high-technology instrumentation is currently another hot topic in multidisciplinary marine research. Conventionally, coral reefs a
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André Freiwald J. Murray Roberts (Editors)
Cold-Water Corals and Ecosystems With 361 Figures, 116 in Colour, and 104 Tables
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Professor Dr. André Freiwald Institute of Paleontology, Erlangen University Loewenichstr. 28, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany E-mail: [email protected] Dr. J. Murray Roberts Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, United Kingdom E-mail: [email protected]
Library of Congress Control Number: 2005924136 ISBN-10 3-540-24136-1 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York ISBN-13 978-3-540-24136-2 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitations, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. Springer is a part of Springer Science+Business Media springeronline.com © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005 Printed in The Netherlands The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover design: Erich Kirchner Production: Luisa Tonarelli Layout, Composition and Typesetting: Sonja-B. Löffler and Jürgen Titschack (both Institute of Paleontology, Erlangen, Germany) Printing: Krips bv, Meppel Binding: Stürtz AG, Würzburg Printed on acid-free paper
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Foreword Cold-water coral reefs – fascinating, fragile and threatened ecosystems found in deep, dark waters. For centuries, scientists and fishermen knew that these corals live in the colder parts of our oceans, far beneath the sunlit surface. However, only in recent years has technology allowed us to look closer at these cold-water corals – the findings amazed even the experts. Large and complex structures, raised from the seabed and stretching for miles with an abundance of life and harbouring a dazzling array of species: reefs very similar to their well known cousins in shallow tropical waters. Like the hydrothermal vent communities, cold-water coral reefs took the spotlight very quickly, and are now regularly referred to as one of the key ecosystems in the colder and deeper parts of our oceans. The discovery of this extraordinary ecosystem came with a warning: many reefs showed scars and were partly or completely destroyed by commercial fishing activities, especially from the use of bottom trawls. The evidence was so compelling that national authorities started to adapt regulatory measures to protect reefs in their waters. Howeve
