Seamounts are underwater mountains formed by volcanic activity.
They rise steeply from the ocean floor, but do not reach the surface. Despite the fact that many people are unfamiliar with seamounts, they actually represent one of the most common types of deep sea geological features. Our primary goal is to document the marine habitat and resources of Bowie Seamount and a portion of Gwaii Haanas to evaluate the marine biodiversity, representative ecosystems and special natural features that exist at these two study sites. This survey work will assist in understanding fish-habitat relationships required for the assessment of rockfish and other marine resources. As rockfish have been aged to 118 years, the species is considered likely to benefit from MPAs.