3. 



Additionally, canyons have been identified as conduits for 

 the channeling of material from the shelf to the rise and 

 abyss (Rowe, 1972). This funneling characteristic also 

 enables canyons to support a greater number of filter- feeders 

 because of the resulting increase in nutrient flux. 



Corals are an important constituent of canyon faunal 

 assemblages. They are sessile filter- feeders and are frequently 

 restricted to hard substrates. As a result of their feeding 

 mode corals are dependent on particulate organic matter in 

 the water column and thus favor environments with adequate 

 current activity and nutrient load. As sessile organisms 

 corals would be exceptionally susceptible to burial from 

 increased sediment loading. This is further complicated by 

 their morphological simplicity, the direct exposure of their 

 tissue to the surrounding environment, increasing the proba- 

 bility of fouling. Thus, resource development that signifi- 

 cantly alters water column characteristics in the vicinity 

 of canyons would possibly be detrimental to these coral 

 communities. As a result of their feeding type and lack of 

 mobility corals make good "indicator organisms" for assessing 

 potential environmental deterioration due to resource develop- 

 ment. 



There are distinct physical differences between the mid 

 and north Atlantic canyons. Therefore, it might be expected 

 that their faunal constituents would also differ. Baltimore 



