Ocean advocates blast sonic cannon tests
Corry Westbrook, former federal policy adviser for Oceana, speaks Wednesday at a rally against oil exploration and drilling in the Atlantic.(Photo: Jim Waymer/FLORIDA TODAY)SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. — They prefer "spin, baby, spin" to "drill, baby, drill" off Florida's East Coast — wind turbines, that is, not oil rigs.Environmental advocates say oil exploration in the Atlantic Ocean would put billions of dollars in coastal economics at risk, with few if any rewards for Florida.And according to a new report by nonprofit Oceana, wind energy is a more ocean-friendly alternative –— and could bring more benefits to the economy."The decisions we make today and the actions that we take will have long-term impacts on our coastlines, our economies, our marine mammals and our oceans," said Erin Handy, an Oceana campaign organizer, to a crowd of about 40 gathered Wednesday for a protest at Pelican Beach Park.Oceana's report challenges industry assertions that drilling in the Atlantic would lead to energy independence, millions of dollars in revenue for states and thousands of jobs. Oceana lobbies for clean ocean and energy policies.And they fear federal plans to allow seismic airguns will kill or harm thousands of dolphins, whales and other marine life.Among the concerns are airguns that emit dynamite-like underwater blasts to survey for oil and gas deep beneath the ocean floor, from Cape Canaveral to Delaware, in an area twice the size of California.More than two dozen cities from Florida to New Jersey have passed resolutions opposing the seismic testing, including Melbourne and Indian Harbour Beach on Tuesday. Industry officials say environmental groups exaggerate potential marine life impacts. Oceana says industry inflates the potential economic benefits.According to Oceana's report:• Oil and gas development in the Atlantic would risk some of the 1.4 million jobs and more than $95 billion in gross domestic product that rely on healthy ocean ecosystems. That includes 281,000 jobs and $36.6 billion in GDP in Florida, mainly from fishing, tourism and recreation.• Offshore wind on the East Coast could generate up to 143 gigawatts of power in 20 years, enough to power over 115 million homes, about twice the energy as offshore drilling in the Atlantic.• Offshore wind could create 91,000 more jobs than offshore drilling, about double the job creation. In Florida, wind could produce 28,317 jobs, seven times more jobs than offshore drilling.• In 20 years, offshore wind in Florida could generate the equivalent of more than 1 billion barrels of oil — more than all of the state's economically recoverable oil and gas in the Atlantic, or 25 times more energy."Only the oil and gas companies and the politicians that take contributions from them will benefit," said Margot Dorfman, a Melbourne Beach councilwoman. "Our ocean-front communities will take all the risk and receive none of the benefits."Oceana's report comes as the federal government sets its next five-year schedule of potential offshore oil and gas lease sales, which covers 2017 to 2022.And advocates fear the potential impacts. Jim Moir, chairman of the non-profit Marine Resources Council, worries about the dozen species of whales that live in Florida's waters."Low frequency sound waves can propagate for thousands of miles underwater," said Moir, who has also worked as a certified marine mammal observer during seismic surveying in the Gulf of Mexico.Many of the deadly effects to marine mammals are almost impossible to determine, he said, and may have long-term negative impacts on populations.Drilling opponents also fear accidents like the BP Deepwater Horizon oil well blowout in 2010 that killed 11 workers and spilled more than 200 million gallons of oil in the Gulf of Mexico."If we chase the fish away from Brevard County, how many people's lives are going to be affected?" said Mitchell Roffer, president of Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service."You're losing a lot of jobs for the promise of oil that my or may not be there," he said.In addition, the airguns used in the seismic surveys can cause hearing loss and mask mating calls and other biologically important sound for whales, fish and other wildlife.Most research on the issue revolves around the sound impact on marine mammals. The impact on sea turtles is less clear. Sea turtles don't have ear drums or external ears, but their auditory sense is adapted to vibrations in the water.A federal environmental study of the proposed seismic surveys includes several alternatives for ways to avoid harming wildlife. Proposals include closing certain offshore areas to seismic surveying during the main sea turtle nesting season and during right whale migration.But Oceana says that won't adequately protect the right whale's migratory corridor and nursery areas. They also say the government failed to consider safer alternative technologies.Oceana cites federal estimates that the sonic blasts from the proposed seismic surveys could injure and possibly kill up to 138,500 dolphins and whales, and put thousands of tourism and fishing jobs at risk.During the protest, Robert Redell, of Cape Canaveral, held up a boogie board Wednesday that read: no seismic slaughter. Others held white model wind turbines that spun as presenters made their case against drilling."I'm done calling it seismic testing," Rendell said. "It's seismic slaughter of a huge number of marine mammals we really can't afford to lose to obtain some oil we really don't need to burn."To learn more• Read the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's plan to allow seismic surveys.• Read Oceana's report here.• Learn about seismic surveys here.Without a net, a look at death defying stuntsJan 15, 2015
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