The US fishery council on Wednesday approved a ban on bottom-tending fishing in a vast stretch of 38,000 square miles of ocean near the Atlantic coast of the United States.

The ban will include 27 deep-sea canyons that are separated into 15 protection zones. The canyons stretch from the edge of the continental shelf and below the continental margins to the deep-ocean floor, said experts.

They said canyon’s corals function as a sanctuary for commercial and valuable marine life like red crab, flounder, lobster, and hake. The canyons also serve as a refuge for creatures that are distinct to coral beds.

Scientists said the coral beds also act as haven for cold seeps, which host hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other gases gurgle up throughout the sea floor.

They also nourish creatures that are dependent on chemicals for energy instead of sunlight. Brad Sewell, a senior attorney linked with the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Oceans Program, stated that the panel’s decision is defensive.

Scientists since long have been interested in deep-sea corals. Tools to explore and study them have been whipped up in the last 30 to 35 years to methodically salvage samples to analyze them thoroughly.

Sewell said, “I can’t say that it was an easy lift to reach the point where the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council was ready to approve the restrictions. But it’s certainly easier to close an area off to fishing that’s not being fished”.

It has been said that the amendments backed by the panel are still needed to be presented before the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for final approval. The move was praised by environmental groups such as the National Resources Defense Council and Oceana.