• Acronym: WG 32
• Parent Committee: BIO
• Term: Jan. 2015 - Dec. 2018
• Extended: at PICES-2019 until PICES-2020
• Co-Chairs:
  Janelle Curtis (Canada) (janelle.curtis@dfo-mpo.gc.ca)
  Masashi Kiyota (Japan) (m.kiyota@nagasaki-u.ac.jp)

Year 1:

• Compile data on the distribution of coral and sponge taxa, and associated fish and invertebrate assemblages in the North Pacific within National Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and facilitate their submission to appropriate biodiversity databases (e.g., Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS));
• Compile data on key variables (temperature, velocity, ocean acidification, slope, aspect) hypothesized to influence coral and sponge distribution and diversity and catalogue sources of multibeam/swathe bathymetry data for distribution modeling within National EEZs;
• Hold a WG meeting, in conjunction with PICES Annual Meeting.

Year 2:

• Review modeling approaches to predict the potential distributions of species and habitat suitability for corals and sponges (e.g., MaxEnt, Boosted Regression Trees, or high resolution bathymetry-based models) within National EEZs;
• Identify environmental and ecological predictors of patterns in the distribution and biodiversity of coral, sponge and associated taxa within National EEZs;
• Convene a session on biogenic habitat distribution and diversity at PICES Annual Meeting;
• Hold a WG meeting, in conjunction with PICES Annual Meeting.

Year 3:

• Review and propose potential indicators for assessing and monitoring diversity of biogenic habitats;
• Review and document associations between commercially important fish and invertebrate species and biogenic habitats;
• Prepare scientific reports for dissemination of results;
• Hold a WG meeting, in association with PICES Annual Meeting.