Discovering Canada’s coral reefs

Coral reefs are popular destinations for fans of scuba diving. Australia, New Caledonia, Belize and Florida are where the largest underwater landscapes can be found, filled with life. But did you know that Canada—a northern country—also has coral areas?

Two-thirds of the world’s surface is covered by oceans, but many ocean ecosystems are still largely unknown. In 2020, the known area of cold water coral and sea sponge ecosystems extended across 293,346 km² of the ocean floor off the coast of Canada, the majority of which were located in the Atlantic. It should be noted that much of the ocean floor is difficult to map, particularly the identification of different types of ecosystems. More in-depth research is needed to better classify them.

Coral areas are important ecosystems for biodiversity, but they are fragile. Human activity, such as fishing and oil extraction as well as climate change, threaten their survival.

For more information on human activity and the environment, including our oceans, see our infographic.