The other is a hydrothermal vent site in Papua New Guinea that may be damaged by extraction of seafloor massive sulfide deposits (see Box Selleck MG 132 1 for brief descriptions of each site). One or more of the authors has direct knowledge of each case-study site. By the 1960s, more than 70% of the tidal wetlands of San Francisco Bay had been destroyed due to diking and filling for agriculture, hunting, salt pond construction, and urban and industrial development [46]. The lost wetlands included a combination of tidal salt, brackish, and freshwater marshes. Associated with loss of wetlands and with coastal development were loss of biodiversity, water quality,

fisheries, shoreline protection, bird habitat, recreational opportunities and other ecosystem goods and services [69]. Darwin Mounds coral reef restoration The Darwin Mounds comprise

hundreds of small (100 m diameter, 5 m Alectinib molecular weight relief) mounds in the NE Rockall Trough (900–1100 m water depth off the west coast of Scotland) colonized by cold-water corals (Lophelia pertusa and other species) that create habitat for fish and invertebrates [70]. The corals feed on zooplankton and reproduce vegetatively as well as by sexual reproduction through broadcast spawning. They are sensitive to water quality (temperature, water flow, pH), and have an associated fauna of diverse invertebrate taxa. Characteristics of a healthy reef include on-going accretion and self-recruitment, high biodiversity of associated fauna, and good coverage by live coral. Bottom trawling at the Darwin Mounds was Cell press known to have taken place between 2000 and 2003; temporary emergency closure was put in place in 2003,

followed by permanent closure to bottom trawling in 2004 [71]. Longevity of Lophelia pertusa colonies is estimated to be several decades to ∼100 yr [72]; the age of the Darwin Mounds is likely to be on the order of 10,000 yr by comparison with coral mounds of nearby Rockall Bank [73]. There is evidence that there are benefits of deep-sea corals perceived and appreciated by society, based on choice experiments showing a willingness-to-pay value for coral protection (1€ per annum tax) [74] and benefits are realized through fishing [4]. Fragments of broken corallites of L. pertusa show rapid regeneration potential in the laboratory [75], suggesting that laboratory propagation may be feasible in support of subsequent restoration efforts. Solwara 1 hydrothermal vent restoration Solwara 1 is a weakly active seafloor hydrothermal vent field comprising inactive and actively venting areas at ∼1500 m in Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea. The site has a deposit of commercial-grade seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) rich in copper, gold, and silver [76].