Hello everyone, it's Alberto. I am currently taking part in the fight to protect the Atlantic Ocean from seismic airgun testing.
During the year 2012, a plan was proposed to allow seismic air gun testing in the Atlantic Ocean prior to drilling for oil and gas. The planned area extends from the waters of Delaware to the waters of Florida. The plan has been awaiting approval since the day it was proposed. There should be no seismic airgun testing in the Atlantic (an area that has been protected for about 30 years). It is important to know what seismic airgun testing is, its potential impact on the ocean environment, and what must be done to protect the ocean.
Seismic air gun testing is a method that oil and gas companies use to scan the ocean floor to find ideal areas for offshore drilling. A boat drags a seismic air gun across the ocean. A loud explosion of air is fired from this air gun into the ocean floor. The sound is then reflected off the ocean floor, and detected by receivers. This allows people to know the conditions of the earth’s subsurface below the ocean floor, as well as the amounts of oil and gas deposits that are there.
(http://www.pgecurrents.com/2012/09/07/san-luis-obispo-county-pge-taking-extensive-measures-to-protect-marine-life-in-seismic-testing/)
Seismic airgun testing can have a serious impact on the ocean. The blasts from a seismic airgun are much more intense than the sound of a jet engine.
During the year 2012, a plan was proposed to allow seismic air gun testing in the Atlantic Ocean prior to drilling for oil and gas. The planned area extends from the waters of Delaware to the waters of Florida. The plan has been awaiting approval since the day it was proposed. There should be no seismic airgun testing in the Atlantic (an area that has been protected for about 30 years). It is important to know what seismic airgun testing is, its potential impact on the ocean environment, and what must be done to protect the ocean.
Seismic air gun testing is a method that oil and gas companies use to scan the ocean floor to find ideal areas for offshore drilling. A boat drags a seismic air gun across the ocean. A loud explosion of air is fired from this air gun into the ocean floor. The sound is then reflected off the ocean floor, and detected by receivers. This allows people to know the conditions of the earth’s subsurface below the ocean floor, as well as the amounts of oil and gas deposits that are there.
(http://www.pgecurrents.com/2012/09/07/san-luis-obispo-county-pge-taking-extensive-measures-to-protect-marine-life-in-seismic-testing/)
Seismic airgun testing can have a serious impact on the ocean. The blasts from a seismic airgun are much more intense than the sound of a jet engine.
(http://marinesciencetoday.com/2013/06/07/top-10-reasons-not-to-turn-the-atlantic-ocean-into-a-blast-zone/)
This can be harmful to many animals. Cetaceans, for example, rely on sound as their primary sense. The loud air blasts can disrupt a cetacean’s hearing, and even cause deafness, making it nearly impossible for these animals to navigate through the ocean. This can cause these animals to become stranded, or even die. These blasts are especially dangerous for dolphins and toothed whales since they rely on echolocation to find food and other resources.
Also, many fish can be scared away or killed, which can threaten important ecosystems such as coral reefs. This can also threaten businesses such as fishing operations. In addition to the loud blasts, the testing is the first step towards drilling for oil and gas. The drilling itself will lead to habitat destruction, and the risk for spills such as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico back in 2010. We can’t risk another disaster like that.
This can be harmful to many animals. Cetaceans, for example, rely on sound as their primary sense. The loud air blasts can disrupt a cetacean’s hearing, and even cause deafness, making it nearly impossible for these animals to navigate through the ocean. This can cause these animals to become stranded, or even die. These blasts are especially dangerous for dolphins and toothed whales since they rely on echolocation to find food and other resources.
We must fight to keep seismic air gun testing out of the Atlantic. You should write to your congressmen about your concerns (go to senate.gov to find your senators, and house.gov to find your representatives). You can also go to Oceana’s website (http://act.oceana.org/letter/l-seismic-signon) and send a letter to the President.
Seismic air gun testing should not be allowed in the Atlantic Ocean, or anywhere else. It would have a devastating effect on the ocean environment, disrupting cetaceans and other marine life. On a positive note, it has been recently announced that the decision on whether to approve the testing plan has been delayed for six months. Now, we must keep fighting so that this plan is halted all together, and that the ocean stays protected.
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