Does the Davidson Seamount Meet Sanctuary Designation Standards?
Under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 1431 ET. SEQ., as amended by Public Law 106-513), there are standards for sanctuary designation (Sec. 303). Relative to Section 303, the working group addressed whether the Davidson Seamount: had special national significance relative to conservation, ecology, science, education, and aesthetics; had adequate existing protection measures; had public benefits if made a sanctuary; and manageability issues. The Davidson Seamount meets the criteria for Sanctuary status. Special National Significance Davidson Seamount has special national significance relative to: CONSERVATION QUALITIES • Vulnerability of resource to damage: long-lived species; dominated by large fragile, slow-growing organisms; long recovery time if impacted. • Special characteristics of resource: The area is pristine; it has large microhabitats of old corals and sponges; and it has relatively high numbers of rare and unidentified benthic species. • Threat of collection:
