Effects on glass sponges
One of the major concerns regarding unburied submarine cables is their potential to be moved by tides and currents causing repeated physical disturbance to the seabed and communities in the cable corridor (OSPAR Commission, 2009 and Sultzman et al., 2002). We have not seen any evidence of cable movement across the surface of the sponge reef. Our observations suggest that direct physical damage is likely limited to the footprint of the cables themselves.