Tag Archives: Seismic Airguns

Dead plankton, stunned fish: the harms of man-made ocean noise

Human-caused ocean noise and its dangers to marine life are the focus of meetings at the United Nations this week, a victory for advocacy groups that have long warned of this problem. What are the causes of ocean noise? The main human activity that causes noise is maritime shipping. Among the loudest sounds are explosions aimed at demolishing offshore oil platforms, though these events are rare. Advocacy groups focus on seismic airguns, which are used by oil and gas interests to find reserves on the ocean floor. A boat tows 12-48 airguns at a time, each of which shoot loud blasts of compressed air.  >click to read<15:27

Princeton Professor Emeritus of Geosciences Defends Marine Seismic Surveys for Study of Earth

R/V Maurice Ewing – The vessel was also slated for use in summer 2014 for a Rutgers University-led near-shore seismic study – opposed by many on the Jersey Shore, including fishermen, lawmakers and the nonprofit Clean Ocean Action, because of potential harm to sea life and fisheries commerce. Read the rest here 08:29

The East Coast’s Next Big Threat – Seismic Airguns – Oceana starts facing real issues.

Seismic airguns could be the East Coast’s next big threat. In fact, the federal government is currently considering allowing their use to search for offshore oil and gas deposits in an area twice the size of California, stretching all the way from Delaware to Florida. [email protected]