Area size 32 712 km² | Percentage of the EEZ: 4.3% |
Sensitive ecosystems: | - Coral reefs |
Geological features: | - Canyon system with gullies and ridges. |
Southern Shelf Slopes (Southern Rim)
Shelf slopes of southern Iceland from Háfadjúp in the west to Papagrunn in the east.
Publication of Advice: 10 June 2026. Published by Marine and Freshwater Research Institute.
Advice
The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute recommends safeguarding the shelf slopes of southern Iceland, from Háfadjúp in the west to Papagrunn in the east, to prevent habitat and ecosystem degradation. To achieve this, a 32 712 km² protected area must be established, within which all activities impacting the seabed are strictly prohibited.
Figure 1. Shelf slopes of southern Iceland from Háfadjúp in the west to Papagrunn in the east proposed for protection.
Basis for Advice
This conservation advice is based on biological surveys and research into the area’s seabed geology, which is unique among Icelandic marine environments. Predictive modeling was utilized to map the distribution of two reef-forming cold-water coral species (MFRI 2026a). Furthermore, the recommendations incorporate thorough assessments of sensitive species and ecosystems specific to North Atlantic marine regions (Tables 1 and 2, MFRI 2026b).
Table 1. Overview of the area, its size and the main rationale for protection.
Table 2. Overview of fish and coral species within the area listed on the IUCN Red List. Protection is considered to have positive effects on species that use the area but is not intended to manage commercial fish stocks.
Species on Red List* | |
|---|---|
Fish | Corals** |
Roundnose grenadier Coryphaenoides rupestris1 | Desmophyllum pertusum2 |
Beaked redfish Sebastes mentella1 | Paragorgia arborea3 |
Spurdog Squalus acanthias1 | Funiculina quadrangularis3 |
Leafscale gulper shark Centrophorus squamosus1 | Kophobelemnon stelliferum3 |
Portuguese dogfish Centroscymnus coelolepis1 | Pennatula aculeata3 |
Birdbeak dogfish Deania calceus1 | Primnoa resedaeformis3 |
Orange roughy Hoplostethus atlanticus2 | |
Blue ling Molva dypterygia2 | |
Rabbitfish Chimaera monstrosa3 | |
Velvet belly lanternshark Etmopterus spinax3 | |
* IUCN Red List of fish status in Europe and coral status globally, and the OSPAR list of threatened and/or declining species and habitats within OSPAR Region I, which includes Iceland. | |
** More coral species as well as sponges that also occur within the area are listed by ICES/NAFO and NEAFC as sensitive ecosystems and their indicator species. | |
1Endangered. | |
2Vulnerable. | |
3Near threatened. | |
Implications of the Advice
For ecosystems:
Coral reefs have a limited distribution around Iceland, occurring almost exclusively on the southern shelf, the southern and western shelf breaks, and to some extent along the Reykjanes Ridge. Because the majority of these shelf-edge reefs overlap with the main demersal fish trawling grounds south of Iceland, they have been largely destroyed, leaving only a small fraction alive. The proposed designation aims to prevent further damage to coral communities at the shelf break and on the continental slope. Additionally, this measure is anticipated to facilitate coral reef recovery at Öræfagrunn while expanding existing protections at Skaftárdjúp and Hornafjarðardjúp.
For exploitation of the area:
Based on catch data from 2015–2024, the impact on longline and net fishing will be minimal. Within the proposed area, the median share of total annual catch on Icelandic grounds for these gear types is at or below 0.1%, peaking at a maximum of 0.3% in individual years. For bottom trawling, the median annual catch share is approximately 0.6%, reaching a maximum of 1% in individual years.
Over this same 10-year period (2015–2024), the proportion of total annual catch sourced from the proposed area for key commercial species averages: beaked redfish (6%), Atlantic salmon (19%), Norway redfish (17%), sailfin roughshark (3%), and large-eye dentex (26%).
References and Further Reading
MFRI 2026a. Proposals of the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute for marine protection 2026. Shelf slopes of southern Iceland from Háfadjúp in the west to Papagrunn in the east. Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, 10 June 2026.
MFRI 2026b. Introduction to area-based advice. Marine protection. Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, 10 June 2026.