Photo by: Rachel Munger (CC BY-NC 4.0) iNaturalist

Home » Campaigns » Ocean Conservation » Saving the Sea of Glass: Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef Conservation Initiative

Saving the Sea of Glass: Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef Conservation Initiative

Ocean Conservation

Increasing monitoring and enforcement of glass sponge reef marine refuges in the Salish Sea’s Strait of Georgia and Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound

Just minutes away from the bustling metropolis of Vancouver, BC are rare ecosystems found almost nowhere else in the world — glass sponge reefs. While much smaller than the large sprawling reefs in the Great Bear Sea, some of these reefs are shallow enough for humans to dive to.

Glass sponge reefs in the Strait of Georgia and Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound that are supposed to be protected by marine refuges are still under threat. The fragile sponges are made of silica, the same material as glass, and are easily crushed by heavy fishing equipment. They are still being destroyed by illegal botton contact fishing because of a lack of monitoring and enforcement by fisheries officers.

A map showing glass sponge reef fishing closures in the Salish Sea

Goal

Increasing monitoring and enforcement of Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef marine refuges

Quick Facts

Size

22 small reefs, covering about 30 km²

Location

Strait of Georgia and Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound in the Salish Sea

Ancient Animals, Not Plants or Rocks

Glass sponges are not plants or rocks, but animals that were thought to have gone extinct 40 million years ago.

Made of Glass

Glass sponge skeletons are made of silica —the same stuff glass is made of — and are extremely fragile.

Reef Builders

Two species of glass sponge build reefs in the Salish Sea: the cloud sponge and goblet sponge.

Underwater Homes

They provide habitat for economically important rockfish and prawns.

Cleaning the Ocean

The Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound reefs filter 1% of the total water volume in the basin every day.

Local Heroes

Marine Life Sanctuaries Society, a local non-profit organization, discovered many of the reefs in Howe Sound and continue to monitor them today.

Photo by: Rachel Munger (CC BY-NC 4.0) iNaturalist

Photo by: Josh Maxwell (CC BY-NC 4.0), iNaturalist.jpg

Photo by: hewittdoesit (CC BY-NC 4.0), iNaturalist

Photo by: ilovenudis (CC BY-NC), iNaturalist

A small crustacean hides in cloud sponge kozymo (CC BY-NC 4.0), iNaturalist

Photo by: kozymo (CC BY-NC 4.0), iNaturalist

Why Action is Needed

What's at Stake?

Glass sponge reefs in the Salish Sea provide critical habitat for economically important spot prawns and rockfish. Without healthy, thriving glass sponge reefs, these local fisheries are in danger.

Because of a lack of education, fishers are unaware bottom contact fishing like prawn trapping and salmon fishing with downriggers is prohibited on these reefs. Exacerbating the problem is a lack of fisheries officers patrolling the water to enforce these laws.

Fragile silica (glass) skeletons
Easily damaged by heavy bottom contact fishing gear
Illegal fishing still occurring due to a lack of education, monitoring and enforcement from fisheries officers

Solutions

CPAWS-BC advocates increased monitoring and enforcement in the Salish Sea

Illegal fishing in glass sponge reef marine refuges needs to be stopped. Increased monitoring and enforcement by fisheries officers patrolling the water preventing people from conducting illegal bottom contact fishing and better education about the locations and regulations of marine refuges for fishers is sorely needed.