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A year after piloting a remote vehicle into the depths of the Pacific Ocean off Southern California, researchers for the marine nonprofit Oceana revealed the submerged treasures they found there and the promise they hold for restoring fisheries in some areas and protecting them in others.
The five-day expedition explored habitat in and around the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, gathering data to support Oceana’s bid to place a large swath of undersea habitat off limits to bottom trawling.
That fishing method uses large nets dragged along the sea floor to catch fish. In the process, however, it can also pull up corals and other organisms.