Abstract
Coral reefs of Lophelia pertusa are key biotopes in temperate seas with great importance for many species, including commercially important fish stocks. In Sweden and Norway a large proportion of natural reefs have been damaged by trawling, and ocean acidification is a developing threat for the reefs below 600 m. In Swedish waters there is only one small live reef left while 6 previously known reefs in the area have gone extinct. As natural recovery of damaged reefs is slow, and natural reestablishment seems to be nonexistent, human intervention is probably a necessity. With this project we aim to provide essential knowledge to aid in the preservation and management of L. pertusa, a keystone species in the Koster Sea National Park; by 1) developing tools for active management through restoration, 2) investigating chemical cues in spawning and larval settlement to understand biological and physiological factors for coral reproduction and recruitment, 3) modelling larval dispersal within the National Park and Skagerrak, and investigate in vitro and in situ hydrodynamic driving forces to be able to develop and improve the efficacy of the methods above. All necessary basic equipment (e.g. ROV, saltwater system for keeping and rearing of corals) is already in place, and a network of international experts is established for support with elaborate methods. We expect this project to be a milestone in rehabilitation activities of coldwater coral reefs in years to come.
Sweden