Hopedale Saddle Closure

On this page

• At-a-glance
• Biodiversity conservation benefits
• Ecosystem
• Research and monitoring
• Activity application
• Publications

At-a-glance

Location

Newfoundland-Labrador Shelves Bioregion (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Size (km²)

About 15,411km²

% coverage contribution to Marine Conservation Targets

About 0.27%

Date of recognition

January 2018

Establishment mechanism

Fisheries Act closure

Biodiversity conservation benefits

Important species benefits

Cold water corals and sponges play important roles in marine ecosystems, including:

• cycling of organic matter
• substrate stabilization

Corals and sponges are fragile, slow-growing organisms with long lifespans, which makes them vulnerable to disturbance.

Important habitat benefits

Cold water corals and sponges provide large- and small-scale habitats for other organisms in their environment. These complex three-dimensional structures provide other marine species, including fish species, with habitats for:

• feeding
• resting
• spawning
• predator avoidance
• nurseries for juveniles

Prohibitions

The biodiversity conservation benefits are effectively conserved through the prohibition of all bottom-contact fishing activities.

OECM Protection standards

All existing and foreseeable activities are assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the risks they pose to the biodiversity conservation benefits are effectively avoided or mitigated. For more information please visit Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECM) Protection Standard.

Ecosystem

Corals and sponges play important functional roles for numerous forms of marine life. For many aquatic species they act as:

• spawning and breeding grounds
• nurseries
• refuges

The dense aggregations created by large, structure-forming cold-water corals can alter bottom currents and provide niche space for other organisms. Areas of high coral species diversity are positively correlated with areas of high fish species richness, density, and diversity.

This area overlaps three Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs):

• Outer Shelf Nain Bank
• Labrador Slope
• Hopedale Saddle

The area supports several depleted species, contains high biological diversity, and serves as an important overwintering area for the endangered population of Eastern Hudson Bay Beluga.

Prohibiting bottom-contact gear protects not only the corals and sponges but also diverse populations of other species of fish and invertebrates that use the structural habitat that corals and sponges provide. This area can act as a refuge that may contribute to increased species productivity, which in turn could potentially lead to increased abundance within and adjacent to the area.

Research and monitoring

DFO’s scientific monitoring approach for the Hopedale Saddle Closure is based on core and complementary monitoring, which are supplemented as needed by targeted research. Core monitoring uses a set of standardized, minimally invasive survey methods and protocols across all marine refuges in the NL Region. Complementary monitoring leverages data collected for purposes other than monitoring marine refuges (for example, fish stock assessment surveys). Targeted research addresses methodological and ecological knowledge gaps relevant to marine refuges. Information will be collected over the long-term to assess the status and trend of species listed as biodiversity conservation benefits as well as overall biodiversity. A formal monitoring plan for this area is currently under development.  

Activity application

Activities proposed to occur within the Hopedale Saddle Closure are assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine compatibility with the biodiversity conservation benefits, and to ensure that any risks have been avoided or mitigated effectively.

Inquiries regarding potential activities within OECMs in the NL Region should be directed to DFO.MarineRefugesNL-RefugesmarinsTN.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Publications

• Identification and Descriptions of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas in the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves Bioregion (Wells et al, 2017)
• Applying ensemble ecosystem model projections to future-proof marine conservation planning in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean (Bryndum-Buchholz et al, 2023)