Saving Seafood

Scientists Warn About Effects Of Seismic Blasting Off Of East Coast

June 8, 2017 — Scientists are concerned about a proposal to search for oil and gas below the Atlantic Ocean floor. The proposal comes after President Donald Trump’s executive order to roll back a 5-year ban on drilling for oil off the East Coast.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is looking to authorize seismic air-gun surveys. That means explosions go off in the ocean looking for signs that oil may be available underneath.

The explosions would happen every ten seconds. Senior Science Advisor at the New England Aquarium Scott Kraus said adding sound in the water would be a problem for marine mammals like whales, who depend on sound for survival.

“So they use acoustics for finding food, finding mates, maintain social cohesion, they use sound for migration, they use sound for everything that is critical for their lives,” said Kraus.

Read the full story at Rhode Island Public Radio

Seismic Testing Evicting Fish from Reef

February 13, 2017 — Fish are being pushed from their homes by seismic testing, a surveying method that uses dynamite, a specialized air gun or a seismic vibrator to develop images of the rock layers below the ground.

Avery Paxton, a marine ecologist Ph.D. student from the University of North Carolina, recently studied the impact seismic testing has on fish who inhabit a reef 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina and found that during seismic surveying, reef-fish abundance declined by 78%.

“What was really interesting is that this decrease occurred during the evening hours, when before the survey the fish were most active on the reef,” Paxton said in an exclusive interview with R&D Magazine. “We don’t know exactly where they went, we assume that they moved from the noisy reef to a nearby quieter reef or perhaps some of the smaller fish went and hid in the holes or crevices.”

Paxton said to conduct the study the research team placed underwater cameras and microphones at the reef and observed the data three days before the test and also during the seismic test.

However, due to a battery issue the study does not include any data after the survey.

Paxton said the majority of research on the impacts of seismic testing centers around marine mammals and not fish.

Read the full story at R&D Magazine

 

Senator Booker, Senator Menendez seek to end oil and gas testing in Atlantic Ocean

May 2, 2016 — WASHINGTON, DC — Seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean, which can hurt marine life, is no longer needed now that the Obama administration dropped plans to drill for oil and gas there, U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez said in a letter joined by 16 of their Democratic colleagues.

The senators asked President Barack Obama to end plans for the Atlantic testing,

Such tests, which involve airgun blasting, “can cause the catch rates of some commercial fish species to plummet, displace fish over large areas, and broadly disrupt the feeding and breeding behaviors of whales and other marine life,” the senators wrote.

The Obama administration dropped plans to allow oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean.

Other senators signing the letter included Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

Read the full story at NJ.com

NORTH CAROLINA: Seismic testing companies say they will pursue NC coast

March 31, 2016 — EMERALD ISLE, N.C. — Several seismic testing companies said they are still trying to pursue the testing off our coast.

Here’s how it works: A large vessel tows a streamer, which emits sound waves to map the crust of the ocean along more than 400 miles of the NC coast.

The North Carolina Coastal Federation said the testing could impact multiple industries, from tourism to fishing and wildlife.

While several companies are waiting for their permits to get approved, officials along the coast said the data collected would be the first step needed toward off shore drilling.

Read the full story at WNCT

N.J. ocean blasting research completed; Fishermen halt fight to stop it

July 9, 2015 — Seismic testing that involved blasting the ocean floor off the New Jersey shore with sound waves has been completed, and fishing groups have stopped seeking a court order to halt it.

Five fishing groups had sued to stop the research, led by Rutgers University and involving the National Science Foundation, and the University of Texas, claiming it disturbs and possibly harms marine life including dolphins, whales, turtles and many fish species.

But in a joint court filing Wednesday, both sides acknowledged the testing had been completed on Monday, and that a restraining order shutting it down is no longer needed. The lawsuit itself remains active.

Gregory Mountain of Rutgers, the lead researcher, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the survey teams managed to cover 95 percent of the target area off Long Beach Island.

The project used sound waves to study sediment on the ocean floor dating back 60 million years to see how sea level rise has changed the coastline. They also say the research can help coastal communities understand sea level change over millions of years to better protect against storms like Superstorm Sandy. The findings could be used to help make decisions on where to elevate houses, build protective barriers, relocate critical infrastructure or retreat from certain spots.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at NorthJersey.com

 

Fishing groups ask court to halt Atlantic Ocean seismic testing

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, N.J. (AP) — July 1, 2015 — Five fishing groups are asking a federal court to stop a research program that blasts the ocean floor with sound waves, arguing it’s disturbing marine life off the coast of New Jersey.

The lawsuit filed Friday seeks a halt to the program being carried out by Rutgers University, the University of Texas and the National Science Foundation.

The project uses sound waves to study sediment on the ocean floor dating back 60 million years to see how sea level rise has changed the coastline, and better plan for storms like Superstorm Sandy.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at My9 New Jersey