communications service provider that is ap-
proved by such Office for transmission and 
relay to such Office. 
SEC. 5. MAPPING AND RESEARCH. 
(a) REQUIREMENT FOR MAPPING AND RESEARCH.— 
The Secretary shall direct the Under Secretary for Oceans 
and Atmosphere to prepare and carry out a comprehensive 
program to explore, identify, research, and map the loca-
tions of deep sea corals and deep sea sponges. 
(b) DESCRIPTION OF MAPPING AND RESEARCH.— 
The program described in subsection (a) shall include— 
(1) creating maps of the locations of deep sea 
coral and sponge ecosystems; and 
(2) conducting research related to deep sea cor-
als and deep sea sponges, including research related 
to— 
(A) the natural history of such species; 
(B) the taxonomic classification of such 
species; 
(C) the ecological roles of such species; 
(D) the growth rates of such species; 
(E) the anthropogenic, ecological, and 
other benefits of such species and the habitats 
of such species; and
(F) the correlation of deep sea corals and 
deep sea sponges with various types of geologic 
formations, physical features, and other predic-
tors of presence. 
(c) COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM.—The Sec-
retary, in consultation with the Councils, shall develop a 
cooperative research program to identify— 
(1) the ideal areas for the use of bottom trawls; 
and 
(2) the locations of deep sea corals and deep 
sea sponges. 
(d) THRESHOLDS OF DEEP SEA CORAL AND SPONGE 
PRESENCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the Councils and expert scientists, shall de-
termine the thresholds above which the abundances 
of various deep sea corals or deep sea sponges shall 
be considered to constitute an ecosystem. In deter-
mining such thresholds, the Secretary shall consider 
the life histories and growth rates of deep sea corals 
and deep sea sponges and the criteria set out in 
paragraph (2). 
(2) CRITERIA.—In determining the thresholds 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider 
the following criteria:
(A) Bycatch per unit effort of deep sea 
corals or deep sea sponges in fishery trawls. 
(B) Presence of deep sea corals or deep 
sea sponges in research surveys. 
(C) Predictions of the presence of deep sea 
corals or deep sea sponges based on correlations 
with geologic or physical features. 
(D) Other methods indicating ecologically 
meaningful presence of these species in an area. 
SEC. 6. USE OF BEST AVAILABLE DATA. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall use the best 
available data to determine if an area shall be designated 
as a Bottom Trawl Zone or as a Coral Habitat Conserva-
tion Zone. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In delineating the boundary 
and determining the size of an area to be designated as 
a Bottom Trawl Zone or a Coral Habitat Conservation 
Zone, the relevant council and the Secretary shall con-
sider— 
(1) the precision and accuracy of the available 
trawl location data considered in making such deter-
mination; 
(2) the precision and accuracy of deep sea coral 
and deep sea sponge presence data considered in 
making such determination;
(3) the economic cost of such designation to in-
dustry and the ecological costs and benefits of such 
designation to deep sea corals and deep sea sponges 
in the area; and 
(4) the ease of enforcement of such designation. 
(c) CORAL HABITAT CONSERVATION ZONES.—Not-
withstanding the considerations in subsection (b), in delin-
eating the boundary and determining the size of an area 
to be designated as a Coral Habitat Conservation Zone, 
the relevant Council and the Secretary— 
(1) shall ensure that each area that is deter-
mined to contain a deep sea coral and sponge eco-
system is designated as a Coral Habitat Conserva-
tion Zone; and 
(2) may include a buffer area around deep sea 
corals or deep sea sponges present in such Zone to 
ensure the complete protection of potential deep sea 
corals or deep sea sponges in the area or to facilitate 
the enforcement of any appropriate prohibitions, 
rules, or regulations within such Zone. 
SEC. 7. INITIAL DESIGNATION OF BOTTOM TRAWL ZONES. 
(a) RECOMMENDATION BY A COUNCIL.—Not later 
than 24 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
each Council, after notice and an opportunity for public
comment, shall submit to the Secretary and the Secretary 
shall publish in the Federal Register— 
(1) a list of all areas for which the Council has 
responsibilities that were fished using bottom trawls 
during the 7-year period ending on December 31, 
2004; and 
(2) recommendations on which portions of the 
areas identified in paragraph (1) should be des-
ignated as Bottom Trawl Zones. 
(b) STANDARDS
FOR INITIAL DESIGNATION.—An 
area may not be designated as a Bottom Trawl Zone if 
there is evidence that a deep sea coral and sponge eco-
system is present in such area. 
(c) DESIGNATION PROCESS.— 
(1) PROPOSED RULE.—Not later than 9 months 
after the date of the publication of a Council’s rec-
ommendations in the Federal Register pursuant to 
subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall publish in the 
Federal Register a proposed rule to designate each 
area or the portion of such area that does not con-
tain a deep sea coral and sponge ecosystem as a 
Bottom Trawl Zone. 
(2) FAILURE
TO
RECOMMEND.—If a Council 
fails to submit recommendations to the Secretary 
under subsection (a), not later than 33 months after