Seismic Exploration Leads to Ocean Noise

     Imagine loud explosions constantly going off in your neighborhood, you would be unable to concentrate, and have hearing damage. Plans have moved forward to begin dangerous seismic drilling for oil on the mid and south Atlantic coastlines.This drilling is harmful to many marine species and the government should not allow companies to continue this form of oil exploration.

     "Using giant arrays of seismic air guns to explore for oil and gas is equivalent to blasting dynamite in a neighborhood every 10-12 seconds for weeks or months on end." This fact was shocking to me. The ocean is not our home and humans should not invade it in such a loud and overbearing manner. Seismic drilling uses loud high-pressure air guns to look for water below the ocean. I understand that the world has a large demand for oil and new sources are needed, however, I feel that the search for oil should not happen at the expense of marine life such as the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

                                         North Atlantic right whale near dolphins, flickr.com myFWC Research

 This form of drilling can also decrease the catch of commercial fishing. I see this starting a vicious cycle: if more seismic drilling occurs in an area then the commercial fishing rates may drop there. As the rates drop fishermen may then start to fish new areas which endangers new fish and opens new parts of the ocean to the dangers of commercial fishing. Then, as the span of seismic drilling locations increase the fishermen continue to have to move into new territory. I think that explained the dangers the best when he said "“Today’s announcement is great for petroleum companies, but horrible news for our coastlines and a potentially deadly blow to ocean fisheries and wildlife. It’s yet another reason why we need to break our dangerous addiction to oil—not find more ways to feed that addiction." Seismic drilling can not be tolerated and companies need to find new ways to look for oil or reduce the amount of drilling done.


http://ecowatch.org/2012/offshore-oil-exploration-proposal-horrible-for-oceans-and-marine-life/