Eastern Canyons Conservation Area
Location: Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy Bioregion
Approximate Area: 4,397,600 hectares
Date of Designation: 2022
Conservation Objectives
To protect cold-water coral habitat.
Prohibitions
Most communal commercial and commercial bottom-contact fishing gear is prohibited in the area.
Why (environmental context for protection)
The conservation area is home to many cold-water corals, which are fragile and slow to recover when hurt. The area includes the only known living Lophelia pertusa coral reef in Canada’s Atlantic waters. Lophelia pertusa is a species of white, tree-shaped coral which provides diverse habitat for many species, such as groundfish like redfish and Atlantic halibut.