8/23/2023 0 Comments Gas pipeline gulf of mexico fire![]() The impact of the fossil fuel industry on underwater ecosystems has been fairly well studied, but scientists are also raising the alarm on another emerging resource extraction method that could harm ocean ecosystems: deep-sea mining of precious metals. Is deep-sea mining the next crisis?ĭeep-sea mining could affect the ecosystems supporting creatures like deep-sea jellyfish. Recent research suggests using careful marine spatial planning and designating protected marine areas to preserve ocean wildlife from increased threats due to offshore drilling and deep-sea mining. President Joe Biden signed an executive order pausing offshore oil drilling during his first month in office. Many environmentalists criticized the Trump administration’s plans to expand offshore oil drilling, citing threats to coastal and ocean wildlife and the role of fossil fuels in worsening the climate crisis. As of April 2019, there were 1,862 offshore oil drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. A 2007 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) cites both “oil and gas exploration and production” and the development of coastal “pipelines and cables” as primary threats to the survival of coral reefs, including in the Gulf of Mexico.Another NRDC report states that the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed more than 1,000 sea turtles and 1 million offshore birds, in addition to contaminating 12 percent of bluefin tuna larvae.A 2009 report by the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) states: “Marine mammals, sea birds, fish, shellfish, and other sea life are extremely vulnerable to oil pollution and the long-term toxic effects can impair reproductive success for generations.”. ![]()
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