![Sustainable development of natural resources Sustainable development of natural resources](/web/20061103012342im_/http://www.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/esst_images/2002isdev_e.jpeg) Natural Resources Canada > Earth Sciences Sector > Priorities > Sustainable development of natural resources > Sponge Reefs on the continental shelf
Sponge reefs on the continental shelf Oceanographic conditions
Currents flow parallel along
the axes of troughs along the seafloor. In Hecate Strait water flows northward
along the east margin of the trough and southward along the west, with
a velocity of up to 1.6 km/hr. Sea surface temperature varies from 6°C
in April to 14°C in August. Bottom temperature (200-250 m) is measured
to be 5-6°C in July.
Research on the sponge reefs includes measuring
current velocities and suspended sediment concentration. The suspended
sediment forms the matrix of the sponge reefs so that an understanding
of this material is important forunderstanding sponge reef development.
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