Both canyons are larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon, and Zhemchug is the world's largest submarine canyon.

Greenpeace's ship Esperanza is the research platform from which two deep diving one-man submarines capable of descending 2000 feet, and an ROV that can go down 3000 feet, are deployed to venture into this deep ocean realm.

Commenting, a Greenpeace spokesperson said: "The diversity of marine life encountered so far, including deep sea coral and sponge habitats, concentrations of squid and fish, glowing invertebrates, and multiple as yet to be described species keep astonishing our research team on every deep dive they make. Our team has also documented evidence of the destruction to these habitats from bottom trawling."

The catalyst for Greenpeace to undertake this precedent setting deep sea research was the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council's recent decision not to give these special places the same protection

from the known destructive impacts of bottom trawling they have already given similar habitats in other Alaska waters.

According to Greenpeace, the council cited a lack of evidence, despite having bottom trawl coral bycatch information from this area, as the reason not to protect these ecological treasures.

The waters between Alaska and Russia are a rich marine environment home to a diversity of wildlife. Polar bears, seals, sea lions, walruses, whales and millions of seabirds make their home here. It is one of the most productive fishing spots in the world.

For more information go to:

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/oceans/bering-sea-tour-2007.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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