Giving Compass' Take:

· According to the Surfrider Foundation, NOAA Fisheries have authorized the plans of five companies to conduct seismic blastings in the Atlantic.

· What are some of the effects of seismic blasting? 

· Read more about seismic blasting and the fight for quieter oceans


NOAA Fisheries authorized the Trump Administration's plan to allow five companies to concurrently conduct seismic blasting in the Atlantic, an industry practice that harms marine life and pollutes the ocean with deafening noise. This marks the first actionable step to accelerating new offshore drilling in the Atlantic.

At this time, while we do not know when the five surveys will begin, the companies will notify NOAA for the authorizations to become effective. This is required to occur within one year of today's announcement.

Surfrider Foundation chapters have banded together to oppose Atlantic Ocean seismic exploration successfully in the past and are currently fighting offshore oil drilling proposed in the 2019-2024 Draft Proposed Program ("DPP") issued this year by the Trump administration. The proposed DPP offers 47 total lease sales in 25 of 26 leasing areas, which would open 90 percent of U.S. federal waters to offshore oil and gas development. Unfortunately, this new drilling requires seismic blasting – a damaging practice to search for oil and gas that involves deafening underwater noise that harms and kills wildlife such as whales, dolphins, fish, and turtles.

Read the full article about seismic blasting in the Atlantic by Pete Stauffer and Katie Day at the Surfrider Foundation.