WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.703 --> 00:00:12.843 Deep-sea fishing in the Azores region is largely undertaken by 2 00:00:12.843 --> 00:00:18.163 small-scale fishermen using deep longlines. 3 00:00:20.343 --> 00:00:24.243 Trolling is banned in the region. This is might be a reason why 4 00:00:24.243 --> 00:00:27.363 we are actually seeing such a diversity in some of these 5 00:00:27.363 --> 00:00:31.843 areas. There's this term that we've been using a lot in the 6 00:00:31.843 --> 00:00:35.083 scientific community which are "vulnerable marine ecosystems" 7 00:00:35.083 --> 00:00:38.763 and these are typically ecosystems that are formed by 8 00:00:38.763 --> 00:00:43.823 both sponges and corals. These ecosystems are very important 9 00:00:43.823 --> 00:00:46.543 because they provide a number of goods and services to the 10 00:00:46.543 --> 00:00:50.463 deep-sea environment as a whole and ultimately to us humans and 11 00:00:50.463 --> 00:00:55.863 so some of these 3D structures provide both habitat, nursing 12 00:00:55.863 --> 00:00:59.543 and rearing areas for a number of other species both crustaceans 13 00:00:59.543 --> 00:01:03.223 and even commercial fish species and so these are very 14 00:01:03.223 --> 00:01:06.023 important in terms of the overall ecosystem function in 15 00:01:06.023 --> 00:01:08.583 the deep sea. 16 00:01:09.743 --> 00:01:13.043 A lot of these species especially corals and sponges 17 00:01:13.043 --> 00:01:17.163 are thought to be very slow growing and long living which 18 00:01:17.163 --> 00:01:21.843 really makes them particularly vulnerable to human impacts. 19 00:01:21.843 --> 00:01:26.163 Specially to bottom fisheries of course.