March 26, 2014 — Environmental and fishing groups are opposing a plan by three universities and the National Science Foundation to carry out seismic blast tests on the ocean floor off the New Jersey coast this summer.
The groups say the tests could harm or kill marine life including dolphins, whales and many types of fish.
The National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed granting permission for the tests, which would run from early June to mid-July about 15 miles off Barnegat Bay. The tests are designed to study the arrangement of sediments deposited on the ocean floor during times of changing global sea levels dating back 60 million years.
Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, said the group has opposed seismic testing for nearly 30 years because it can seriously harm marine life.
Read the full story by the Associated Press at NJ.com