SELC and Partners Warn of Looming Risks with Seismic Testing

Following the February 2014 release of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s final environmental impact statement on the plan to open up the Atlanta coast to seismic surveys for oil and gas, SELC and partners have submitted comments about the looming risks of seismic testing. 

Seismic testing is a process through which compressed air is explosively shot through the water, seriously disrupting and harming marine life, including the critically endangered North American right whale, and nesting sea turtles. Seismic testing also has been shown to displace commercial fishing species, resulting in lower catch rates for cod, haddock, and rockfish, threatening our coastal economies. The decision to allow seismic testing also potentially opens the door to deep water drilling off the Atlantic coast, which will threaten our vibrant coastal economies and communities.