3). Three sets of data were used for

this criterion: 1) very shallow and deep seamounts, 2) the presence of a lobster species endemic to seamounts, and 3) the presence of vent communities. Shallow seamounts that extend into the photic zone (<200 m) are rare (1.3%) in the region and likely to support species and assemblages that are dissimilar to deeper habitats (Carney et al., 1983 and Gage and Tyler, 1991). Deep seamounts below 4000 m are also rare (2.5%; Fig. 3a), and based on the known strong influence of depth on selleck chemicals faunal composition and structure (Carney et al., 1983) we predicted that they would also support species and communities that are significantly different. The distribution of lobster species is better known than that of many other benthic taxa (largely due to their CAL-101 commercial importance). Hence, we have used records of Jasus caveorum endemic to one cluster of seamounts in the region ( Webber and Booth, 1995) as an indicator of seamount uniqueness. The presence of a vent community was used as a further indicator of potentially unique benthic species assemblages being present on the seamounts. Few robust data exist on this criterion in the South Pacific with the exception of spawning areas for

orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus). We consequently used records of the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries Scientific Observer Programme. Seamounts were considered spawning areas if more than half

of female fish sampled had eggs in the latter stages of development, indicating spawning would occur there. The observer programme operates on New Zealand commercial fishing vessels, mainly on the Louisville Seamount Chain ( Clark, 2008), and thus it was only possible to identify spawning areas for seamounts that are fished. We used Thiamet G OBIS to obtain records of 51 IUCN Red list species at 420 locations in the region. We matched these records to known or predicted seamount locations with a 55 km radius buffer (an area roughly equivalent to 1° of latitude/longitude square), centred on the summit position of the seamount. This buffer compensated for positional inaccuracies and incomplete physical sampling of many seamounts. Modelled global habitat suitability for six species of stony corals (Enallopsammia rostrata, Goniocorella dumosa, Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora oculata, Oculina varicosa and Solenosmilia variabilis) that are known to form reef frameworks in the deep sea was used to assess this criterion ( Davies and Guinotte, 2011). A 70% probability of habitat suitability was used as the minimum threshold to identify seamounts likely to support corals.