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GreenPeas Finds Coral at Artic Drilling Site
Greenpeace scientists have identified a dense patch of deep-sea corals in a lease area of the Arctic's Chukchi Sea off Alaska's northwest coast, where Royal Dutch Shell is slated to start drilling.I say they planted it. Researchers for the advocacy group, which have been lobbying to block drilling in the Arctic this summer, went down about 150 feet in a submarine this week to take samples. During the dives, they found significant concentrations of the soft coral Gersemia rubiformis , which is commonly known as sea raspberry. Wotta coincidence! Make sure ya call it "coral" 'cuz everybody knows that's endangered! Shell is awaiting final permits to begin drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas and has predicted it could start as early as next week. So shell sez they're relatively uncommon. In its scientific report on the Chukchi's benthic, or seafloor, environment, Shell identified corals as occupying less than 4 percent of the habitat. But Greenpeace marine biologist John Hocevar described the corals as the "third most abundant" species he sampled, after two types of sea stars. He conducted the mission in a leased area about 10 miles from one of the company's vessels. Abundant? Not endangered? So why should we worry? Oh, yeah, because the WaPo wants us to. The decisions by the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management "regarding Shell's Chukchi exploration plan were based on years of comprehensive study and analyses . . . including seafloor habitats," said BOEM spokeswoman Theresa Eisenman. "These environmental studies, which included the development of information regarding the presence of Arctic corals, were specifically considered ..." Posted by: Bobby 2012-07-28 |
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