14 DAY TRIAL // Plans to begin oil and gas exploration along the American Atlantic Coast require that seismic airgun testing is first carried out in these regions.
This is because specialists need to develop a three-dimensional map of the shoreline and pin down the exact locations where said energy resources are to be found.
It has not been long since we reported on how green-oriented organization Sea Shepherd spoke against such tests being carried out fairly close to California's coast.
Recent news on this topic informs us that Oceana (i.e. the largest international ocean conservation group) together with the NRDC (the US Natural Resources Defense Council) wish to take a rather similar stand.
Thus, these two organizations intend to voice their complaints against such activities being carried out in the Atlantic Ocean by conducting mock seismic airgun testing outside the DOI (the US Department of the Interior) headquarters in Washington.
Oceana's official website explains that seismic testing basically means that airguns will be firing compressed air around the clock for several days and sometimes even weeks, at intervals of roughly 10 seconds.
As one can easily imagine, the force of these underwater blasts will have devastating effects on local marine wildlife.
More precisely, both Oceana and the NRDC estimate that roughly 138,500 dolphins and whales will suffer rather severe injuries as a result of seismic testing being carried out in the Atlantic Ocean, and that several other species will witness their natural habitats being pretty much destroyed.
Not to mention the fact that fishermen who carry on with their daily routine in these waters stand to have significant issues in meeting their quota, seeing how most of the fish species inhabiting this coastline will also be affected.
The date chosen by Oceana and the NRDC for this mock seismic testing is the 2nd of October 2012, so hopefully more information on this topic will soon be made available to the general public.