B.C. glass sponges need protection

Photo courtesy of Manfred Krautter and CPAWS-BC

B.C.’s finger goblet glass sponges, above, are the only ones known in the world.

Eco-Minded by Kai Chan

Published: November 03, 2008 12:30 a.m.

Last modified: November 03, 2008 2:35 a.m.

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Something seriously strange is happening in British Columbia’s Hecate Strait. Glass sponges — fragile undersea animals — are building massive reefs.

They’re attaching themselves to their dead ancestors, creating gigantic, lattice-type reefs, up to eight stories high and covering hundreds of square kilometres.

This was not uncommon … in the Jurassic period, 145-200 million years ago. Back then, these reef-building sponges created the largest biotic structure in the history of the world. But glass sponge reefs went extinct with the dinosaurs.

Or so we thought. In 1987, scientists found these reef-building sponges up to their old tricks in B.C. It was a startling discovery.

Today, our fragile glass sponge reefs are the only ones known in the world. They remain globally precious and suitable for World Heritage status. Sadly, bottom trawlers destroyed half of the reefs on the north coast before the 2002 moratorium and continue to chew them up in the Strait of Georgia.

These sponge reefs need permanent protection! Please write to Canada’s new Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Gail Shea and B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell.

Ask that B.C.’s fragile glass sponge reefs become Canada’s newest marine protected area. You can also urge provincial politicians to make oceans a priority in the upcoming election.

– Kai Chan is an assistant professor and Canada Research Chair at the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability (IRES) at UBC. Carrie West is the communications coordinator for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, B.C. chapter.