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

The ultimate goal of the workshop was to identify steps necessary to improve the understanding needed to conserve and manage these deep-sea ecosystems. Workshop participants represented a broad range of stakeholders including the Federal government, the New England and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, academia, private industry, nongovernmental organizations and Canadian academic and governmental representatives