Charleston council backs resolution calling for protection of Blake Plateau; coalition highlights 89,000 deep-sea coral mounds
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Summary
Council adopted a resolution expressing support for durable protection of the Blake Plateau; a Carolina Ocean Alliance representative described NOAA mapping that revealed tens of thousands of deep-sea coral mounds and urged the city to serve as a gateway community for scientific research and conservation.
Mayor William S. Cogswell Jr. read a resolution Feb. 10 expressing the City of Charleston’s support for durable protection of the Blake Plateau, a deep-sea region approximately 80 to 200 miles offshore of the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.
Gray Gowder of the Carolina Ocean Alliance, invited by the mayor, said recent NOAA high-resolution mapping revealed "over 89,000 living mountains of coral" on the Blake Plateau and described the site as home to hundreds of feet of deep-sea coral habitat, more than 200 coral species, and important habitat for endangered sea turtles, whales and dozens of fish species. "We didn't know about this place until NOAA sent a research vessel out there to do high resolution mapping," Gowder said, and he urged support for protections and scientific access that could make Charleston a gateway for ocean research.
The resolution notes the plateau’s ecological and cultural significance, including spiritual connections for the Gullah Geechee, and states the city "endeavors to be a good steward of its coastal environment". The council accepted the resolution and acknowledged the city's interest in regional biodiversity and conservation.
Next steps: The resolution expresses the city's support but does not itself create regulatory authority; the text frames the city as supporting durable protections and potential partnerships to promote scientific research and conservation.
