Coral Reef Ecology; Deep Sea Corals; Management; Marine Ecosystem Management; Planning; Research; Sponges

This document addresses an identified milestone in NOAA’s five-year Research Plan for 2005-2009 to develop a NOAA-wide research plan for deep-sea corals; and a commitment by NOAA to develop a national strategy for research and conservation of deep-sea corals and sponges in response to a petition from Oceana to protect deep-sea corals and sponge