Why is the gully an important area?

Why is the gully an important area?

The Gully is home to the endangered Scotian Shelf population of Northern bottlenose whales and is an important habitat for 15 other species of whales and dolphins. The ocean floor supports crabs, sea pens, anemones, brittle stars, and approximately 30 species of cold-water corals.

What is found in the gully?

The Gully contains the highest known diversity of coral in Atlantic Canada with more than 30 species of coral that have been identified such as soft coral, Gorgonian Octocoral, and Paramurciea.

Where is the Gully?

Nova Scotia
The Gully is a large underwater canyon in the Atlantic Ocean near the edge of the eastern continental shelf of North America. It is located east of Nova Scotia near Sable Island. The Gully is over 65 km long and 16 km wide and reaches depths of over 1 km.

What is a gully in the sea?

a knife, esp. a large kitchen or butcher knife. A sea-gully seems to be a knife meant for use by sailors.

How deep is a gully?

A small gully is considered to be less than 8 feet deep, a medium gully less than 8 to 15 feet deep, and a large gully more than 15 feet deep. The drainage area—that is, the area draining into a gully at any given point—also affects the type of control that may be used.

What is smaller than a gully?

A ravine is defined as a small, narrow, and deep depression, smaller than a valley, and larger than a gully (Bates and Jackson, 1984).

What do MPAs do?

MPAs conserve biodiversity, enhance resilience, enhance fisheries, and act as an insurance policy if other types of fisheries management do not work. They protect and restore endangered species and ecosystems. They are sites for education and research.

Why does Sable Island exist?

8 – Sable Island was home to Canada’s first life-saving station, established in 1801. Due to rough seas, thick fog and submerged sandbars surrounding the island there has been over 350-recorded vessels wrecked by Sable.

What kind of habitat does the gully have?

The Gully ecosystem encompasses shallow sandy banks, a deep-water canyon environment, and portions of the continental slope and abyssal plain, providing habitat for a wide diversity of species.

How big is the gully in Nova Scotia?

The Gully is located approximately 200 kilometres off Nova Scotia to the east of Sable Island on the edge of the Scotian Shelf. Over 65 kilometres long and 15 kilometres wide, the Gully is the largest underwater canyon in the western North Atlantic.

How is the gully marine protected area being monitored?

Ecosystem Monitoring: DFO monitors the Gully and collects and analyzes data. Monitoring of Human Activities: Shipping, fishing, research, tourism, and oil and gas activities occurring in and around the Gully MPA are regularly monitored and analyzed to ensure human use of the area remains compatible with the conservation objectives of the MPA.

What is the management plan for the gully?

The Gully MPA Management Plan (2017) supports the MPA Regulations and provides guidance to DFO, marine users, the public and other regulators on protecting and managing the Gully’s ecosystem. Conservation priorities for the Gully include: