Effects of Offshore drilling on marine life (Help!)

Andrew225

Andrew225

A little bit of everything
Jun 26, 2007
166
0
0
Colorado
Hey fellow AC-ers. Looking for a bit of help here.

I've been tasked, from my CCB teacher, to write a twelve page argumentative paper on any issue of choice. Mine, I've decided, wil lbe the possible negative effects of offshore drilling on marine life (Sonic-booms for oil location disrupting whales migrational patterns, destroying swim bladders...Mud released from drilling contatining high amounts of copper, etc.)

In short, I was looking for anything that could help. Books, good articles, websites, etc. Anything and everything is helpful. Even a quote by yourself (With your actual name...John Higgins sounds a lot more impresssive than god-of-the-reefer69, yah know?) would help immensely, seeing as most people here are rather well learned in Marine Ecology.

Thanks!
-Andrew
 
I've heard that fish actually like the off-shore oil-rigs....Fisherman actually target rigs because there are so many fish around them. They become kinda like man-made reefs.

I'm sure there are draw-backs also. Should make for a good article.
 
one thing you might want to look into is the oil location procedure (which you dabbled a bit into)..

the method is known as Echo-sounding, or Sonar.. a Sonic Boom is the sound created when an object flying through the air exceeds the speed of sound.. two very different things.

http://www.dosits.org/animals/effects/e1.htm

this link is a pretty good resource on the study of the effects of sound on animals in the sea.. make sure to click the little icons at the bottom for more detailed writeups.

having been in the military specializing in undersea sonar operations, this strikes a familiar tone to me. pm me if you'd like to talk in depth on it more.
 
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there aren't any negatives to off shore drilling, most of the guys i know including myself feed the fish, with our knowledge and technology we can co-exist with nature and not harm wild life. and special care is taken so no life be it animal or human is put in jeopardy.
 
I know that many fish actually use the oil platforms as natural shelter, as well as corals clinging to them (After all, gives more space 'towards' the top, allows corals to thrive.) However, one can not argue that the copper released by the mud, sometimes boosting up paramaters in the area from 2 PPM to more than 40 ppm (Very very dangerous, if not instnat death, than reproduction is almost halted) is a bad side effect. However, it's some of the species you don't think of that are harmed quite a bit. Sea Turtles, for instance. Their young ,upon hatching, try to get to the 'moon', are drawn by the light, to get into the water. The artificial lights on the oil rigs have been known to draw baby sea turtles by the thousands, where, considering it is now treated as an 'artificial reef', the turtles are ambushed and massacred.

I know it can be argued either way...I can already say I've learned quite a bit more than i had originally thought i would.
 
Andrew225 said:
I know that many fish actually use the oil platforms as natural shelter, as well as corals clinging to them (After all, gives more space 'towards' the top, allows corals to thrive.) However, one can not argue that the copper released by the mud, sometimes boosting up paramaters in the area from 2 PPM to more than 40 ppm (Very very dangerous, if not instnat death, than reproduction is almost halted) is a bad side effect. However, it's some of the species you don't think of that are harmed quite a bit. Sea Turtles, for instance. Their young ,upon hatching, try to get to the 'moon', are drawn by the light, to get into the water. The artificial lights on the oil rigs have been known to draw baby sea turtles by the thousands, where, considering it is now treated as an 'artificial reef', the turtles are ambushed and massacred.

I know it can be argued either way...I can already say I've learned quite a bit more than i had originally thought i would.
Click to expand...

sounds like you've got it all figured out.
 
I thought the baby turtles use the light just to find the water ?...Why would they still follow the moon once they are underwater?? I would think at that point they would head for cover.

Not to mention most of those rigs are miles off shore...it may be daylight by the time they reach one.

I don't buy that part of the story.
 
Just passing off what i've read mate. Can't say it's confirmed or denied.
 
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