Uncovering the mysteries of Canada’s oldest Marine Protected Area - The Gully
To learn more about the Gully, visit The Gully MPA.
Transcript
[Paul Macnab, from a pre-recorded interview]
“The Gully is really a remarkable submarine canyon. It would take about 18 hours if you were to get on a boat in Halifax and sail there.”
[Narrator]
The Gully Marine Protected Area
The Gully Marine Protected Area (or MPA) was established in 2004. It is located far off the coast of Nova Scotia.
[Hilary Moors-Murphy, Research Scientist with DFO, from a pre-recorded interview]
“The Gully is very well known for the diversity of wildlife that occurs there, everything from cold, deep-water corals to these crazy and interesting looking mesopelagic fish and invertebrates, and it’s also a hotspot for whales.”
[Narrator]
The Gully is Canada’s largest underwater canyon and its oldest MPA. This canyon is a truly remarkable undersea feature where the seafloor rapidly drops to over 3,000 metres deep, creating a diversity of habitats.
[Paul Macnab, from a pre-recorded interview]
Paul Macnab,
MPA Management Team Lead, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
“You have a remarkable range of habitats, so you go from shallow sandy bank environments on the shoulders (Paul Interview_1080 Visual, starting at 12:03 until 12:12), either side of the submarine canyon, all the way into incredible deep ridge valley formations along this canyon.”
[Narrator]
The canyon supports a diverse range of species, including 30 different species of cold-water corals that live hundreds of metres below the surface. These corals cling to the canyon walls and create an important habitat for many species of fish and invertebrates. Some corals are hundreds of years old and are very sensitive to disturbance.
Core protection zone
To protect different parts of the canyon ecosystem and vulnerable species, the MPA is divided into different zones. The core protection zone of the MPA was established to protect endangered toothed whales and their habitat. For example fishing activities are not permitted in this part of the canyon. The core protection zone is also home to several other fascinating species that live throughout the depths of the canyon. Female anglerfish glow from bioluminescent bacteria present in their bodies. Areas outside of the Gully’s core protection zone are open to commercial fishing for species like halibut and swordfish. Fishing and vessel activity is monitored remotely in addition to using vessel and aerial patrols.
The Gully is an important habitat for many species of whales and dolphins.
[Hilary Moors-Murphy, Research Scientist with DFO, from a pre-recorded interview]
Hilary Moors-Murphy,
Research Scientist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
“Northern bottlenose whales are an endangered species of whales of Nova Scotia, and these are a relatively rare type of whale.”
[Narrator]
Researchers use a wide variety of techniques to study whales and their habitats, from drones in the sky to scientific instruments placed under the surface.
[Hilary Moors-Murphy, Research Scientist with DFO, from a pre-recorded interview]
Hilary Moors-Murphy,
Research Scientist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
“So my main research involves studying underwater sounds in the Gully. Whales, dolphins and porpoises,. They spend most of their time underwater where it’s really dark and it’s hard to see each other.”
[Hal Whitehead, Dalhousie University, from a pre-recorded interview]
Hal Whitehead, Dalhousie University
“These are deep diving animals. They go down really deep under the ocean, these Northern bottlenose whales. And when they're at the surface, we can see them from these drones and we get a feel for their really complex and fascinating social behaviour, how they relate to one another. So, we know this is Joe and that's Susie, and we do this by photographing them. What we found is that the population was decreasing until about 2004, which is when the marine protected area was formed and has been increasing slowly since then. So it looks as though the marine protected area made a big difference to these guys.”
[Narrator]
Each year, we make new discoveries as we study and explore the Gully.
[Hilary Moors-Murphy, Research Scientist with DFO, from a pre-recorded interview]
“You don’t have to go to the Great Barrier Reef to see really cool wildlife. We can actually see those right here.”
[Narrator]
For more information, visit our website.
For more information, visit our website: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/mpa-zpm/gully/index-eng.html
Credits
Footage courtesy of:
Alex Normandeau, Natural Resources Canada
Andrew Wright and Team Whale, Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Taken under all required permits
Armand McFarland Conservation and Protection, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Ellen Kenchington and Javier Murillo, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
National film board of Canada
Anna Metaxas, Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University; Martha Nizinski, NOAA/NMFS, USA; CSSF/ROPOS; NSERC Discovery and Ship time grants to Anna Metaxas (Applicant); NOAA Deep-Sea Coral Research and Technology program
Northern Bottlenose Whale Project, Dalhousie University. Taken under all required permits
Narration provided by Carmen Klassen
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