END MORAINES ON THE UPPER SCOTIAN SLOPE: RELATIONSHIP TO DEEP-SEA CORAL AND FISH HABITATS

A recent cruise using an remotely operated vehicle (ROV) on the southern Scotian margin obtained samples and video of two types of habitat: 1) a rocky, boulder strewn sea floor in the mouth of the Bay of Fundy (NE Channel) and 2) an upper slope in one of the canyons with soft Tertiary outcrops on the front edge of Sable Island Bank. Both these areas were in 400-500m of water. The NE Channel area is interpreted as an end moraine of the glacier that came out of the Bay of Fundy during isotope stage 2. The bottom between boulders is cobble pavement with little deposition of fines but there are lag deposits in the lee of boulders. In this area there are abundant deep-sea corals (Primnoa, a gorgonian) associated with and attached to the larger boulders; together with the coral are abundant fish which are not common in areas where coral is absent. In the canyons deepwater coral communities are made up of small cup corals (Flabellum), which sit on the softer bottom and do not appear to act as fish habitat. The deep-sea corals off Canada’s East Coast are attracting increasing attention, as fish habitat and an archive of priceless climatic information. Fishermen off the East Coast of North America have documented corals for over 100 years and known about the value of these coral forests as fish habitat. The connection between gorgonian coral habitat and former glacial deposits was not clear, however, until the ROV was able to document, with good video, the relationship between glacial rocks, corals and fish. Unfortunately the corals are being rapidly depleted by destructive bottom dragging by some segments of the fishing industry, which in turn appears to have an impact on fish stocks.