December 14, 2018 — The iconic North Atlantic right whale, a critically endangered species teetering at the brink of extinction, possibly faces a new threat, marine scientists say.
President Donald Trump wants to open the Atlantic coast to oil and gas exploration as part of a strategy to help the U.S. achieve “energy dominance” in the global market. His administration recently gave fossil-fuel exploration companies a green light to conduct seismic surveys across a stretch of ocean floor between Delaware and Florida.
While the testing won’t be conducted off the New England coast, scientists say air guns used in the testing can harm or kill marine animals far away.
“The sound from seismic testing is so loud that it can literally travel for hundreds of miles,” said Scott Kraus, vice president and chief scientist for marine mammals at the New England Aquarium. “It can disturb and kill mammals like whales, fish and even invertebrates like scallops, while displacing animals from areas of critical marine habitat.”
Air guns are towed behind ships and send loud blasts of compressed air through the water, which then create seismic waves through the seabed. The reflected waves are measured to reveal information about buried oil and gas deposits.
Blasts are repeated every 10 to 12 seconds during testing, which in some cases can continue around the clock for days, according to industry groups.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Times