We have learned that there is a great diversity of amazing coral & sponge species living here in Alaska. Your task is to read this article carefully. Next, write a minimum 2 paragraph COMMENT in complete sentences with correct spelling and grammar, that answers the following:
- Summarize what the article was about in your own words, include a few specific facts/statistics that stood out to you .
- Do you think this article is important/significant? Explain why or why not. Be sure to support your answer!
20 Responses to “Bottom Trawling and Sponges & Corals in Alaska”
This article was about the habitat for sponges and reefs around Alaska. Along with the destruction of a method of fishing called bottom trawling. It tells of the vast amount of species and damaged caused and how the things destroyed may never be able to live again and continue growth. If possible the recovery process would be slow and unable to happen if fishing continues.
The article is of importance. It tells and gives proof of certain ways habitat is dieing. Therefore people can have understanding of exactly what fisheries are doing and what can be done to save the fish habitats and population. The information tells us percentages and what components exactly are hurting these factors. Therefore by fishing and killing a habitat, that location will no longer be inhabited by a population of space. With all locations destroyed where will fish go to live?
In the past, we had no idea what was going on. Everyone thought that the coral and sponges in Alaska weren’t abundant, and that they weren’t important. It’s not like fishermen ignored the fact that they were causing damage and went on fishing. If we had known about this earlier on, there might have been more done. However, we failed to recognize the importance of these habitats, and now we are used to doing things the way do them, and it will be hard to change the methods of trawling without there being major problems.
Trawling in Alaska presents a potential problem if it goes on without any measures being taken. Now that we know that trawlers kill off large parts of coral and sponge habitats, we should start looking for ways to prevent this from getting any worse. Not only are habitats being destroyed, but it could cause problems with fishing. The habitats of the fish that they are trying to catch end up being destroyed, which means that fish won’t be able to live there, and reproduce any more. If possible, methods need to be found that can cause less damage.
The article was about how the reefs in Alaska are full of a lot of life, Some of which though has been destroyed by trawling. There isn’t much stopping fisheries to destroying the rest of this wonderful habitat. Freese et al. (1999) found that a single pass of a bottom trawl in the Gulf of Alaska removed or damaged 70% of vase sponges, 55% of sea whips, over 20% of brittle stars, and 13% of finger sponges. That is huge and could destroy the colorful reefs in the Gulf of Alaska in no time!
This article is very significant. It is very educational, I had no idea there was trawling even going on in the Gulf of Alaska. In a statistic they said after 7 years without trawling, a habitat still hasn’t recovered. Thats nuts, they need to stop.
Wow, this article is a bit of a wake up call, realizing how much damage the trawlers are doing to the sponge population… it’s insanity to say the least. The article states in so many words that bottom trawling in areas that contain high amounts of coral and sponges is eventually going to lead to the destruction of those areas coral and sponge population. The article says that
“In July 2002, scientists discovered deep-sea coral reefs in state waters off the Aleutians containing over one hundred species of coral and sponge, comparable in size and structure to tropical coral reefs. The Aleutian Islands marine ecosystem is an exceptional area of biological productivity and diversity in part because of its complex seafloor habitat.”
If something isn’t done about this than it could lead all the way up to the top of the food-chain…us. In the article it states that just a single pass from a bottom trawl in the Gulf Of Alaska removed or damaged 70% of vase sponges, 55% of sea whips, over 20% of brittle stars, and 13% of finger sponges. Scary odds if I was sponge, eh?
This article that I just got done reading has a lot of facts on sponges. 1999, Gulf of Alaska removed or damaged 70% of vase sponges, 55% of sea whips, over 20% of brittle stars.
My opinion on this is that they should still work on this and find out an exact number the long term changes about the corals. I also think that they should be more careful in different areas under water, because fish is important.
This article says that they discovered deep-sea coral reefs in state waters off the Aleutians and it contained one hundred species of coral and sponge, and they’re the same size as the ones in the tropical reefs. It also talks about how bottom trawling is destroying deep-sea coral reefs, and it force the marine animals living in that habitat to move somewhere else or sometimes it kills them.
I thought this article is very important because it teaches people something new, and it taught me something new, I didn’t know we even had a coral reef like the size of tropical reefs. I really think they should stop bottom trawling because it’s destroying important habitats, and killing a lot of marine animals
The article talked about coral reefs being destroyed right off the Aleutians. There are over 100 species of coral and sponges here. Bottom trawling in this area are taking out fish habitats and they may not ever be restored. Bottom trawling is the most destructive fishing type recorded, it is responsible for 97% of total by catch.
I think this article is important because this could lead to a really big issue. If this type of fishing is taking fish out of their habitats then that later in the future we could be out of fish. So i don’t know if bottom trawling is really that good of a thing. I think fishing is a very good thing, but if its taking out habitats and catching a lot of by catch then maybe we shouldn’t do it that much.
The whole summary of the article is about Bottom trawling in Alaska, and how everyone says it is ruining the ocean floor. They say that it is killing sponges and corals that help support the fish’s habitat. Many don’t think that the habitat, and many fish depend on the coral to live. Like many rock fish, shrimp cod all those good things. “Bottom trawling is the most destructive fishing gear type recorded and reported on coral and sponge in Alaska, effectively clear cutting large areas of coral and sponge habitat. This gear type is responsible for 97% of the total reported by catch of coral and sponge in Alaska (NMFS 2001).” knowing that shows how much that it does mess up the coral and sponge population in Alaska.
i really think that it is a threat to the coral and sponges. But at the same time I think that there is a lot of money able to be made in trawling.
In my own words, I would have to say that this whole topic has to do with the arrogant fisherman who may just be clueless to what they are doing to the coral beds off the aleutian islands. By these fisherman bottom-trolling they are causing these vast fields of coral to become scarce and barren..
Well yes, I do believe this is a very important article.. There is only one planet earth and when we go and destroy the life on the earth.. then soon after the cycle will just repeat itself untill there is nothing to harvest/ kill. If we continue to do things such as this maybe when an asteroid hits the earth and the oceans are dried up and the only thing to eat is coral.. we’ll all be out of luck because we killed off all the coral in the 1st place.
In July of 2002, many different species of coral were discovered off the Aleutian Chain; over 100 different species to be exact. Due to bottom trawling off of the Aleutian Chain, these recently discovered coral reefs may be in danger, along with the creatures that call the coral their habitat. Creatures like Atka mackrel, Pacific cod, olden king crab, Pacific ocean perch, several other species of rockfish, walleye pollock, Greenland turbot, greenling, shrimp, and other flatfish, octopus, and shrimp hide out in these coral reefs. Ironically, these are the types of creatures that hide in the coral reefs that the trawlers are destroying.
This article is signifigant because of the extreme irony that it presents. First off: the bottom trawling that is taking place is basically killing the reefs of the Aleutian Chain. Since the fish and creatures that the trawlers fish for live in these reefs, if the reefs go away then so do the fish. Basically, the fisherman are killing the fish before they even have the chance to fish for them, so how does this benefit them?
In this article about trawling in the Aleutians, we are told of the tragic effects it has on the coral gardens and animals that live there. According to the article, the trawling gear is responsible for “97% of the total reported bycatch of coral and sponge in Alaska.” Scientists discovered that a single trawl can remove or damage “70% of vase sponges, 55% of sea whips, over 20% of brittle stars, and 13% of finger sponges.” This is extremely large numbers. Not only is it damaging the coral and sponge gardens, trawling is also impacting the fish populations. By taking away their habitat, you take away the numbers of fish.
Despite the damage, trawling and long lining continues. By ceasing this process, Alaska would loose an important fishery. The trick is to find a way to save the coral, but still be able to continue fishing in the area. Perhaps we would be able to find less damaging ways to fish in the area, or we could use a form of “circulation farming.” This would mean leaving an area alone from fishing for a certain amount of time before beginning to fish it again. What ever we decide to do, we must do something to stop the damage occurring to these beautiful and necessary gardens.
This article discusses the devastating effects trawling has on Aleutian corals. As fishermen catch various species like Atka mackerel, Golden king crab, Pacific cod, and shrimp, they also pull back up bycatch as well, decimating the ocean floor and leaving wastelands behind that will take decades, if at all, to recolonize. The trawling fishing technique drags a net along the bottom and then it pulled back up. In one study, it was found that in 1990, a research trawl in the Gulf of Alaska “removed on ton of corals and left 27% of corals detached in its net path. 84% of detached corals remained in the net. No young corals had repopulated the damaged colonies after 7 years.” This article warns and informs the danger of bottom trawling.
I think this article is important because though trawling is a productive fishing technique in the short term, it will eventually prove detrimental in the long term. In essence, fishermen are putting an end to their own livelihood. As I am not part of a fishing family, I cannot speak for the financial importance fishing has on many families like those in Cordova, but based on the facts given and recognizing that coral is needed to provide habitat for fish, I think that more research should be done. Maybe there are different techniques that can be used or maybe the fishing community should change restrictions or look into abandoning fisheries involving trawling altogether. Since I have seen students in high school buy boats and begin their businesses young, I know that fishing is something that many people, especially in terms of Cordovans, make a career out of. It would be beneficial to seek preservation now instead of waiting until fishermen are out of a job and without a Plan B.
This article describes the diversity of corals and other marine invertebrates that inhabit the cold waters near the Aleutian chain. This fragile ecosystem is being destroyed in large tracts from bottom trawlers. This method of fishing uses large nets that drag along the ocean floor, killing coral, sponges and many other organisms that make their homes on the bottom of the ocean.
One of these organisms happens to be the Atka mackerel off which the whole operation aims to make their money from. After an area has been destroyed by trawling gear the organisms that are vital to the habitat of mackerel (sponges, coral) are no longer there and the area is unable to support fish populations. According to data collected during a research trawl in the Gulf of Alaska, one ton of corals were killed and 70% of vase sponges were removed or damaged. No young corals had repopulated the damaged colonies after 7 years. If it takes more than 7 years for the area to repopulate, it will take far longer for the habitat to be productive enough to support a population of fish.
This is an extremely unsustainable method of fishing. Trawling has the biggest amount of bycatch as well making it not only unsustainable, but inefficient. By continuing to fish this way and refusing to agree to limits that protect the marine ecosystem fishermen are only destroying their own livelihood. If trawling is to continue, the gear must be massively altered to create far less of an impact on the ocean floor. Limits must also be set to create a more sustainable way of fishing as well as protect the marine habitats that it is presently harming.
This article describes the recent discovery of the destruction of Alaskan coral and sponges by bottom trawling. These diverse Alaskan reefs were not discovered until 2002 yet are still very important, abundant habitats for Alaska’s marine life. Recently, however, because of trawling these reefs are being destroyed and, “will not recover for centuries if ever.” One particular study showed that young coral had not repopulated damaged areas over 7 years later. It was also reported that bottom trawling is responsible for “97% of the total reported bycatch of coral and sponges in Alaska.
This issue is very important. The destruction of the coral and sponges not only affects those species, but also the creatures that survive in the habitat they provide. Since the coral and sponges are not regenerating in the damaged areas, fish, crab, and other organisms are forced to move to a new habitat. Additionally, bottom trawling is responsible for 97% of the bycatch of corals and sponges. This seems very wasteful considering that these species are such a key component of Alaska’s ecosystem. I’m sure there is some way they can regulate bottom trawling without being quite as destructive.
The thing that really stuck out to me in this article is how destructive bottom trawling is. They explain how 97% of the catch is coral and sponge from the reef and is in fact the most destructive fishery in Alaska. It is also interesting how coral in cold water takes a long time to grow, but unfortunately it can be whipped out in an instant and it may never come back in our lifetime. I was also suppressed at how many fish are commercially fished in the reef.
I think that this study and article is very important. From this research and data collected, scientists will be able to better protect the Alaskan coral reefs. This article will help inform the public of the damage that is being made by the bottom trawling industry year after year.
“Bottom Trawling and Sponges and Corals in Alaska” discusses the consequences of bottom trawling on Alaskan Aleutian corals and how the loss of corals affect different fish. The 100 or more different species of corals and sponges that were destroyed used to be “comparable in size and structure to tropical coral reefs.” The effect of bottom trawling also leaves us with a harmed “fish habitat” that may not be able to be restored. According to an Alaskan coral scientific study, coral is imperative to the “deep water ecosystem and the removal of these slow-growing corals could cause long-term changes.” Bottom trawling is accountable for 97% of the sponges and coral that are brought up from the bottom of the ocean. It has been seven years since the discovery of this problem and no new coral has regrown.
I do think this article is important because it causes the audience to consider the future of marine life as well as fishing on the Aleutian chain. As the article mentions, there is a possibility that the coral may not grow back, which determines if the 18 different species of fish will return. This makes me wonder what lies ahead for fishing, which the cause of this slippery slope effect. This article is significant because it discusses information that has affected the marine life. This area may be changed entirely due to bottom trawling. I find this ironic that, because of fishing in these areas it has caused fish to leave.
This article was very interesting. The first thing noticed the vast population of commercial fishing species living in the coral. And the removing of the coral could cause long term damage on the sea life. Research has shown that it takes a long time for coral to grow back. Research has also shown that long lines affect the coral by hooks snagging coral. Also over 50% of the sponges are damaged by one pass of a trawler.
This is the first I have heard about these affects on commercial fishing. In my opinion this information could be very useful to fisherman. These habitats are very valuable to them! If they wipe the entire habitat of coral out they could kill the fish population that makes them money. I personally think these fishermen, who are aware of this problem, should stop before they ruin their way of life. They should find a different to harvest these fish that doesn’t hurt their habitat. I hope they find a solution for this problem.
In this article I read about how people think trawling is bad, and how trawling is bad for the sponges and how it is killing marine animals. In the article they said trawling brought up one ton of coral. I think they should just keep trawling. I think this because there is still a lot of coral, and trawling is a main source of getting a lot of this deep sea food. Coral isn’t going to stop growing, and there is probably a lot of coral in Alaska that know one has seen yet that hasn’t been touched.
This article is about Bottom trawling and how it’s bad for marine life. Bottom trawling kills a lot of marine life and they don’t know if it will ever recover from it if it keeps going. I think they should keep trawling.Trawling does a lot of good for our us like discovering new species and new resources from them that we can use, and there is gonna be a lot of things in the ocean any way. That’s why i think we should keep doing it.
This article was very interesting, I had no idea that we had so many different types of coral and sponges in the oceans of Alaska. I learned that most of the marine life habitat is being destroyed by trawling. I also learned that trawling is responsible for 97% of the total reported by catch of coral and sponge in Alaska. Trawling is a very important type of fishing because that’s how we can get lots of sea foods. I do not think that it would be a good thing if we tried to stop trawling because you have to think about what could happen if we did stop fishing.
There are many parts of the ocean floor that probably hasn’t been harmed by fishermen. I think that they should set more regulations for the trawlers who fish in the areas where there are many sponges and coral. It is a bad thing that the habitat underwater is being affected by fishermen. This is a very important because the fishermen need to understand that they are harming many different types of marine life while making money fishing. If you think about it, there are going to be effects in life whether or not they stop fishing because you nee to think about the seafood that we will not get anymore and the marine life that we are killing and wasting.