Once thought long extinct, living glass sponge reefs are mainly found off BC’s coast. British Columbia’s Sea of Glass is a Canadian national treasure. Heavy bottom fishing gear like trawl nets, traps and long-lines can easily damage and crush the reefs. While dinosaurs roamed the earth, huge glass sponge reefs thrived in prehistoric seas. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 615:79-100. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12939, Stevenson, A., Archer, S.K., Schultz, J.A. Unceded territory of the səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations, CPAWS registered charity While individual glass sponges are found worldwide, glass sponge reefs are unique to the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Ten of the 17 glass sponge reefs in Howe Sound are protected, including this one, called Lost Reef. Howe Sound’s ancient glass sponge reefs are a globally unique ecosystem that provide important habitat for many marine animals of commercial, recreational, and cultural significance. Scientists have likened this discovery to finding a herd of dinosaurs on land. Support local citizen science projects, and formal studies aimed at understanding and monitoring glass sponge reefs. Although common in the late Jurassic period, sponge reefs were believed to have gone extinct during or shortly after the Cretaceous period, until the existing reefs were discovered in 1987–1988 - hence these sometimes being dubbed living fossils. #10686 5272 RR0001. Howe Sound’s ancient glass sponge reefs are a globally unique ecosystem that provide important habitat for many marine animals of commercial, recreational, and cultural significance. Glass Sponge Research Team. | Photo by Dale Sanders. | Photo Credit Diane Reid. Seeing a glass sponge is not unique in itself, but what makes these sponges unique is their formation into bioherms, or reefs, which have not been seen in the last 40 million years other than in fossilised remains throughout the world. We need to increase the adaptive management zone buffers to six kilometres to protect this unique habitat. All rights reserved. CPAWS welcomes protection of Howe Sound glass sponge reefs. They can be found hiding in the chimney-shaped oscula of a finger goblet sponge, tucking themselves away in the numerous maze-like folds of Farrea occa , or hiding among the branches of a cloud sponge. The reefs need your help. And if you just Google “Glass Sponge Reefs DFO” or “Glass Sponge Reefs DC,” you’ll find many points of information and publications that we have out there. Read… A bout 30 metres below the surface of Howe Sound live glass sponge reefs that were believed to have been extinct for 65 million years. "Glass sponge reefs are 'living dinosaurs' thought to have been extinct for 40 million years before they were re-discovered in B.C. They are very efficient filter feeders of bacteria. The 2 recordings from the reef (within and at the margin of the reef footprint) were significantly louder in the mid- and high-frequency bands (100 to 1000 Hz and 1 to 10 kHz, respectively) than the recordings made in soft-bottom habitat away from the reef. Glass sponge reefs provide habitat for many ocean animals including rockfish. Heavy bottom fishing gear like trawl nets, traps and long-lines can easily damage and crush the reefs. Warming and acidification threaten glass sponge Aphrocallistes vastus pumping and reef formation. When scientists first discovered glass sponge reefs in British Columbia’s waters in the late 1980s, they couldn’t have been more surprised. Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Areas Regulations P.C. were discovered in 1987, it was the spongiology equivalent of realizing that T. rex wasn’t extinct. Glass sponge reefs are globally rare, and the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound reefs are by far the largest known to exist. Since this discovery several smaller reefs have been identified in the Strait of Georgia, Howe Sound, and Chatham Sound. Then, in 2001, after glassy shards were found washing ashore on Galiano Island, the reefs were found to be growing at several locations in the Strait of Georgia. Such reefs are now very rare, and found only on the western Canadian continental shelf. The new reefs, verified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society, now need the same protections. Climate change threatens glass sponge reefs unique to Pacific Northwest: study “They’re not the fish and the orca that we hear about all the time. Encourage local education and awareness of the importance of sponge reefs, and the risks they face. Glass sponge reefs are incredibly rare, so rare and so hard to find, in fact, that they were thought to have gone extinct 40 million years ago until 1987 when they were found by accident. They represent an oasis of life in an otherwise barren stretch of seafloor, providing The reefs were thought have gone extinct about 40 million years ago, leaving only giant fossil cliffs behind that stretch across parts of Portugal, Spain and France and Germany across Eastern Europe to Romania. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 615:79-100. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65220-9. They are animals that most of us will never see." bottom-contact fisheries closures of nine glass sponge reef complexes since 2015 (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, in press). et al. 2017-110 2017-02-13 His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, pursuant to subsection 35(3) of the Oceans Act Footnote a , makes the annexed Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine … However, Canadian scientists re-discovered them in 1987 and the first sponge reef became protected in 2015. Glass sponge reefs are endemic to the continental shelf waters of British Columbia and Alaska, where they form complex three‐dimensional habitats used by a variety of commercially important fish and invertebrate species. The Marine Life Sanctuaries Society, with a goal of protecting threatened marine life for the benefit of … These reefs are structures of living sponges built on top of dead sponge and rise above the seafloor, offering sanctuary to all kinds of marine life. New science says that sediment created by bottom trawling from as far away as six kilometres can smother and choke the sponges. Glass sponge reefs were thought to have gone extinct 37 million years ago. | Photo by Neil McDaniel. We’re working to strengthen existing protections while establishing new protected areas for vulnerable reefs in BC, including Chatham Sound and five new reefs in Howe Sound. Glass-Sponge Reefs Deep-sea Habitats and Inhabitants Astound Scientists on WSG-funded Cruise Glass-Sponge Reefs • continued on page 2 The Washington reefs are thousands of feet long and 15 feet tall, growing at depths of 650 feet below the ocean’s surface. Subject: Update: Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef Conservation Initiative. Five glass sponge reefs in Howe Sound are still not protected from bottom contact fishing that can smash the fragile animals. Growing on the seafloor for over 9000 years, these globally unique sponge reefs are found only in BC. Prawn and crab traps drop down and crush glass sponge reefs. The main reef-forming glass sponge Aphrocallistes vas-tus is heavily silicified, with 80% of its dry weight composed of biogenic silica (bSi). Scientists refer to the glass sponge colonies anchored to rock as sponge gardens, rather than reefs or bioherms in which live sponges are fixed to dead sponges. Glass sponges efficiently feed on bacteria by filtering them from the water | Photo by Tavish Campbell via Wild First. The new reefs, verified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society, now need the same protections. After more than 16 years of work, in 2017 CPAWS celebrated the final designation of the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound glass sponge reefs! Oil and gas exploration and development may destroy the world’s last Full video:The Kitsumkalum have lived from the natural resources in their land and marine resources since time immemorial. Shaded provisions are not in force. Photo: Sabine Jessen. of glass sponges in biological silicon (Si) cycling by calculating a Si budget for 3 glass sponge reefs (Howe, Fraser, and Galiano) in the Strait of Georgia (SOG), British Columbia, Canada. Cloud sponges can attach directly to rock substrate, growing on deep reef ridges or from the sides of steep walls. Pine Le Moray Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada.The park, 70 km southwest of Chetwynd covers 43,289 hectares (106,970 acres). Oceans Wise report recommends implementation of full protection for all of Howe Sound’s glass sponge reefs, Endangered Howe Sound glass reefs need protection, group says. Glass sponge reefs in the Queen Charlotte Basin Lifting the 30-year moratorium on offshore oil and gas exploration and development could devastate the fragile glass sponge reefs in the Queen Charlotte Basin. 's northwest coast, CBC News has learned.. Like parks on land, MPAs are designated to address all known threats to species and ecosystems within a given area, and provide permanent protection. Our goal is to get all of BC’s glass sponge reefs designated as marine protected areas (MPAs). British Columbia’s glass sponge reefs are one of the great wonders of the world’s ocean. Glass sponge gardens are much more abundant than the bioherm structures. A bout 30 metres below the surface of Howe Sound live glass sponge reefs that were believed to have been extinct for 65 million years. In 2019, nine Howe Sound reefs were protected by bottom fishing closures. Ocean acidification and warming reduce the sponges’ ability to filter water by more than half, which could starve the sponges. Fragile glass sponge reefs need protection from bottom contact fishing like prawn traps and trawls. Glass sponge reefs were thought to have gone extinct about 40 million years ago, leaving behind giant fossil cliffs that stretch across parts of Spain, France, Germany, and Romania. The Marine Life Sanctuaries Society, with a goal of protecting threatened marine life for the benefit of … Bottom trawling of heavy nets dragged along the seafloor destroy everything in their path while kicking up clouds of disturbed sediment. Glass sponge reefs provide shelter for bottom-dwelling creatures such as rockfish and prawns. They are 9000 years old and over 1,000 sq km (620 sq miles). However, Canadian scientists re-discovered them in 1987 and the first sponge reef became protected in 2015. Glass sponges fertilize the ocean by releasing nitrogen into the water Over half of the reefs in Hecate Strait were destroyed by bottom trawling before fishing closures were put in place in 2002. Recently, the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society (MLSS) and the Vancouver Aquarium have revealed additional areas of significant glass sponge aggregations in Howe Sound that remain unprotected from bottom contact fisheries. 410-698 Seymour St. Encourage local education and awareness of the importance of sponge reefs, and the risks they face. When the glass sponge reefs of B.C. British Columbia's ancient glass sponge reefs are a globally unique ecosystem that provide important habitat for many marine animals including spot prawns, rockfish, herring, halibut and sharks. glass sponge reef in the Outer Gulf Islands sponge reef fishing closure, British Columbia, Canada. Large sediment plumes kicked up as fishing gear, anchors or cables are dragged along the seafloor can smother and choke the reefs. For our first Weekly Sea Discovery we are showcasing the incredible glass sponge reefs discovered off the coast of British Columbia which were thought to be extinct from the entire globe. The reefs in the Hecate Strait and Charlotte Sounds are the most pristine and the largest. They are very efficient, To find out more about BC’s amazing glass sponge reefs visit. “We’ve always known the sponges still existed, that the sponges didn’t go extinct, but they were not building reefs,” said Jeff Marliave, senior scientist and head of the Howe Sound research program at the Vancouver Aquarium. – Joël Houle Your work is really interesting. The glass sponge Aphrocallistes vastus contributes to the formation of large reefs unique to the Northeast Pacific Ocean. So simply using Google and Googling “Glass Sponge Reefs” or “DFO Sponge Reefs” will bring the interested party to lots of information. The glass sponge reefs play a crucial role in their ecosystem by feeding on tiny particles of organic matter. coast. Giant fossil cliffs in Germany. Dear Stakeholder, The purpose of this email is to provide an update on recent activities of the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef Conservation Initiative (the Initiative) and to share new educational materials created to help inform the public about these glass sponge reefs. In 1987 a remarkable discovery was made just off the BC coast. Glass Sponge Reef. Sponge reefs are reefs formed by Hexactinellid sponges, which have a skeleton made of silica, and are often referred to as glass sponges. These sponges can grow large and in all sorts of shapes, providing a complex structure that is important habitat for many organisms in the surrounding communities such as rockfish, spot prawns and other invertebrates. Sponges are easily broken on impact, and can be smothered by increased sediment. By subscribing to CPAWS-BC action and alerts, you will receive communications regarding our conservation campaigns, general CPAWS news updates, as well as contests and other promotions. Sci Rep 10, 8176 (2020). The Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reef Marine Protected Area needs bigger buffers! Scientists, fishermen and conservationists are working with the government to protect the glass sponge reefs before they are lost forever. Grant N, Matveev E, Kahn AS, Archer SK and others (2019) Effect of suspended sediments on the pumping rates of three species of glass sponge in situ. These ocean changes also make the sponges structurally weaker.