Scientists Petition Obama to Reverse Approval of Seismic Oil and Gas Exploration Off Atlantic Coast
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] March 6, 2015
Ocean scientists from the US and around the world want President Obama to halt an oil and gas exploration program off the Atlantic coast that would require the use of seismic blasting. Already nine applications have been filed for the project after the Administration had earlier allowed for the first such tests along the coast in three decades.
In a letter to the President, 75 scientists from institutions such as Cornell, Duke, the New England Aquarium, Stanford, and the University of North Carolina say that the seismic blasts, from high-volume airguns that fire every 10-12 seconds, are nearly as loud as conventional explosives and have “an enormous environmental footprint.”
Scientists also said the blast testing “could have potentially massive impacts on fish populations.” Studies show the airguns could kill fish eggs and larvae, interfere with breeding and make some species more vulnerable to predators...
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