Glass sponge reefs, once thought long extinct, grow almost exclusively in BC waters. They provide habitat for marine life such as prawns and rockfish, store carbon on the ocean floor, and filter and fertilize sea water. It truly is a “Sea of Glass.”
Even though glass sponge reefs in Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound are supposed to be protected with marine refuges and fisheries closures, these fragile ecosystems are still being destroyed by bottom contact fishing such as prawn traps. Taking thousands of years to grow and made of fragile silica, it is unknown if reefs can recover.
Stronger monitoring and enforcement are needed to ensure these habitats keep BC waters healthy and abundant.
Sign the petition, support nature.
