Cold-water coral are found in waters between 130 metres and 2,000 metres deep. They are primarily made up of Lophelia pertusa, as well as other hard corals such as Madrepora oculata and Solenosmilia variabilis.
These form biogenic reefs in deep, dark waters and create complex structures which can support diverse ecosystems – including fish, invertebrates and sponges.
Unlike tropical corals, they thrive in cold waters between 4 and 8°C.
In Scotland’s inshore waters (up to 12 nautical miles from the coast), these corals can be found in the Sea of the Hebrides east of Mingulay, where reefs cover 5.4 square kilometres and stand as high as 90 metres. In Scotland’s offshore waters, they can be found on Rockall, Hatton and George Bligh banks and seamounts such as Anton Dohrn, Rosemary Bank, Hebrides Terrace, and Darwin Mounds.
As these habitats nurture commercial species such as redfish, ling and tusk, they are beneficial to the fishing industry, while also helping to combat climate change through their ability to store carbon.
They are recognised as a Priority Marine Feature in Scottish waters, and have been classified as endangered by OSPAR. While sites such as East Mingulay MPA received vital protection from damaging fishing gear in 2015, cold-water coral still faces a number of challenges in Scottish waters, both from damaging fishing activity and from climate change.
Photo: © Dan Bolt / Marine Conservation Society
Action Needed
Fishing: As these habitats are the home to several commercial species of fish, they are at risk from damaging methods of fishing such as bottom-towed gear.
Climate change: UK sea temperatures have risen by 2 degrees over the last 40 years. Rising temperatures can disrupt these habitats and affect food availability. Ocean acidification, caused by oceans absorbing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, can cause the weakening or crumbling of coral’s framework structures.
Threats
Make the case for further fisheries management measures to protect cold-water coral: Measures for inshore sites such as East Mingulay MPA were introduced in 2016, and management measures were introduced for offshore MPAs containing cold-water coral in 2025. Following the Deep Sea Access Regime, there is also a ban of bottom trawling at depths of more than 800m. However, many reefs remain unprotected, and work is needed to identify and protect other examples of coldwater coral reefs between 400 and 800m, in line with the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan.
Fully-resourced monitoring of existing measures in offshore MPAs where zoned fisheries management measures have been put in place, to ensure they are effective or to strengthen those measures if they are not sufficient.
Raise awareness of the pressures facing cold-water coral in the Scottish Parliament, and support efforts for further research on the conservation and restoration of cold-water coral.
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