Eastern Honguedo Strait Coral and Sponge Conservation Area

To protect cold-water coral and sponge habitats.

All fishing that uses bottom-contact gear (for example bottom trawls or traps) is prohibited in the area.

The conservation area features a high concentration of cold-water sponges, including “fig sponges,” as well as corals such as sea pens. Sponges and corals are fragile and slow to recover when damaged. When not protected, they can easily be damaged by fishing or other human activities that come into contact with the sea floor. Sponges and corals create structures that offer refuge, feeding, and rearing areas for many other underwater species, and so support greater biodiversity. Other animals within the conservation area include rays and wolffish.