Jordan Basin Conservation Area

To protect cold-water corals and other marine animals.

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

The conservation area contains a high number of cold-water corals, especially “seacorn” corals, which are fragile and slow to recover. Corals can easily be damaged by fishing or other human activities that come into contact with the sea floor. Corals create structures that offer refuge, feeding, and rearing areas for many other underwater species. The area is home to many species that rely on corals, including groundfish such as Atlantic cod, haddock, and sea ravens.