Seismic Airgun Testing in the Atlantic

SEISMIC AIRGUN TESTING IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN OCEANA HOW IT WORKS Seismic airgun testing is used to locate oil and gas deposits deep below the ocean floor. AUDIO MONITORS SEISMIC AIRGUN LOUD BLASTS OF COMPRESSED AIR OIL & GAS DEPOSITS A vessel tows a seismic airgun, which shoots extremely loud blasts of compressed air through the ocean and miles under the seafloor, every ten seconds, 24 hours a day, for days to weeks on end. HOW LOUD IT IS SEISMIC AIRGUN TESTING 190 dB (250 dB in water) 100,000 times more intense than a JET ENGINE JET ENGINE )) 140 dB 10,000 times more intense than a MOTORCYCLE MOTORCYCLE dB = decibel, a unit used to measure the intensity of sound 100 dB 10,000 times more intense than TALKING TALKING (@ a) 60 dB ITS IMPACTS Seismic airguns are so loud and constant that they can injure or disturb vital behaviors in fish, dolphins, whales and sea turtles. PROPOSED AREA IMPACTS TO MARINE MAMMALS • Temporary and permanent hearing loss Seismic airgun testing is being considered from Delaware to Florida, but its impacts would be felt along the entire East Coast. • Abandonment of habitat • Disruption of mating and feeding • Beach stranding and death IMPACTS TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN • Injury to 138,500 dolphins and whales • Injury to nine critically endangered North Atlantic right whales (only 361 left) • Disruption of threatened loggerhead sea turtle nesting • Displacement of commercially valuable species and decrease of catch rates for coastal fisheries Source: U.S. Department of the Interior © 2012 Sylvia Liu, research by Oceana SEISMIC AIRGUN TESTING IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN OCEANA HOW IT WORKS Seismic airgun testing is used to locate oil and gas deposits deep below the ocean floor. AUDIO MONITORS SEISMIC AIRGUN LOUD BLASTS OF COMPRESSED AIR OIL & GAS DEPOSITS A vessel tows a seismic airgun, which shoots extremely loud blasts of compressed air through the ocean and miles under the seafloor, every ten seconds, 24 hours a day, for days to weeks on end. HOW LOUD IT IS SEISMIC AIRGUN TESTING 190 dB (250 dB in water) 100,000 times more intense than a JET ENGINE JET ENGINE )) 140 dB 10,000 times more intense than a MOTORCYCLE MOTORCYCLE dB = decibel, a unit used to measure the intensity of sound 100 dB 10,000 times more intense than TALKING TALKING (@ a) 60 dB ITS IMPACTS Seismic airguns are so loud and constant that they can injure or disturb vital behaviors in fish, dolphins, whales and sea turtles. PROPOSED AREA IMPACTS TO MARINE MAMMALS • Temporary and permanent hearing loss Seismic airgun testing is being considered from Delaware to Florida, but its impacts would be felt along the entire East Coast. • Abandonment of habitat • Disruption of mating and feeding • Beach stranding and death IMPACTS TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN • Injury to 138,500 dolphins and whales • Injury to nine critically endangered North Atlantic right whales (only 361 left) • Disruption of threatened loggerhead sea turtle nesting • Displacement of commercially valuable species and decrease of catch rates for coastal fisheries Source: U.S. Department of the Interior © 2012 Sylvia Liu, research by Oceana