HALIFAX — Canada’s Ocean Playground could soon have three new marine conservation areas. The federal Fisheries Department announced the proposed sites off the coast of Nova Scotia on Thursday, saying the move supports Ottawa’s commitment to protect 10 per cent of Canadian waters by 2020. Susanna Fuller, senior marine co-ordinator with the Ecology Action Centre, said the areas chosen for conservation include vulnerable deep-sea corals and depleted groundfish. The 2,000-square-kilometre Eastern Shore area includes hundreds of islands and is rich in eelgrass, kelp and salt marsh, according to the Fisheries Department. The Eastern Canyons proposed conservation area is a deep-sea ecosystem known to be vulnerable to disturbance, the department said.

Source: National Post March 22, 2018 19:55 UTC