The noise caused by the waves can injure and impair many different species of fish and marine wildlife.
East Asia and the Northwestern Pacific are home to some of the world’s biggest and most productive fisheries, with average yearly yields in the 20-24 million ton range (Ahlenius 2004). The region is home to many coral reefs and these fisheries provide food for a large percentage of the world’s population. The coral reefs are also some of the most important ecological sites in the world, home to thousands of marine species. These biologically diverse marine habitats these reefs continue to add ecological and economical value to the waters off of Eastern Asia through tourism, recreation, and extractable resources.
Offshore energy exploration allows nations to access additional fuel reserves and expand domestic industry, but there are many costs to consider. While large tracts of natural gas and oil occur in the seabed off the coast of East Asia in the Pacific Ocean they vary in degrees of difficulty and the resources needed to locate and extract these fuels. The process can be very lucrative and offshore drilling rigs are a common sight for many residents of coastal areas across the globe, but the hunt for these resources can be highly detrimental to the local ecosystems and other natural economic assets such as fisheries and tourist attractions.
Types of offshore energy extraction include drilling for oil and hydraulic fracking, both of which have large impacts on the environment in which they are done. For example, seismic mapping, the initial assessment and surveying for potential oil deposits, consists of blasting high decibel waves along the seafloor to map deposits and their sizes (CAOE 2010). The noise caused by the waves can injure and impair many different species of fish and marine wildlife. These disruptions, especially in a highly productive environment, could potentially damage populations to the point of impacting fisherman’s daily catches, bringing down local economies and making it more difficult for fishermen to provide for their families.
In addition, drilling also releases many toxic chemicals into the area, similar to the acidic heavy metal runoff created when mining on land. When used in close proximity to valuable ecological assets this concentration of chemicals can harm the reproductive cycles of fish and further exacerbate issues such as ocean acidification, a major factor in the decline in coral reefs (Boesch & Rabalais 2003).
Perhaps the greatest and most publicized impacts of offshore energy exploration are oil spills. Highly detrimental to the environment, a large-scale oil spill like the Exxon Valdez or Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico can cause adverse effects decades into the future. While extensive risk assessment and planning are required before drilling commences, accidents resulting in spills still occur, often due to poor regulation, oversight, or maintenance (Boesch & Rabalais 2003).
Another challenge that comes with oil spills is the clean up. In a region such as East Asia where many countries have access to the coast, a large-scale oil spill could create issues in determining the responsibility of clean up, and getting countries to act in conjunction to address a multinational problem. This would be further hindered by the large degree of territorial disputes among East Asian nations in terms of rightful ownership of areas with oil and natural gas reserves. Many lay claim to the ownership and rights to harvest these resources, but would each country defend their responsibility for a spill, or would a blame-game erupt and further destabilize the region?
The Latest Bing News on:
Fisheries decline
- Florida manatee starvation deaths decline as feeding endson March 29, 2023 at 11:22 am
It was the second year of the experimental feeding program that was launched because of the deaths of at least 1,100 manatees in 2021, which was by far the most ever recorded. All told, more than ...
- New form of omega-3 may help prevent visual decline due to Alzheimer's, diabeteson March 28, 2023 at 11:21 pm
Scientists have developed a new form of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA that can cross into the retina, which may help with visual declines related to diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
- Tuna Fish Market Average Price by Manufacturerson March 28, 2023 at 9:15 pm
Mar (The Expresswire) -- "Tuna Fish Market" Research Report 2023 Provides a Basic overview of the Industry including definitions, Company ...
- These game-changing ‘seafood watch cards’ will steer you away from eating low-quality fishon March 28, 2023 at 2:00 pm
Many types of fish have had their populations depleted due to overfishing and destructive farming practices. Luckily for us, there’s an online tool that helps you learn which types of fish are both ...
- New fish oil capsule could treat world’s leading cause of blindness: discoveryon March 28, 2023 at 11:08 am
The breakthrough omega-3 fatty acid can cross into the retina from the bloodstream to help with visual declines linked to Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and other disorders.
- Norway government lowers fish farm resource tax proposal to 35%on March 28, 2023 at 1:10 am
Norway's government aims to levy a 35% resource tax rate on the profits of salmon and trout farmers, it said on Tuesday, down from an initial proposal of 40% which sharply hit fish farming stock ...
- New form of omega-3 could prevent visual decline with Alzheimer's diseaseon March 27, 2023 at 3:19 pm
For the first time, researchers have developed a form of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is capable of crossing into the eye's retina to ward off visual declines related to ...
- Summer 2022 creel survey shows decline in Red River fishing pressureon March 25, 2023 at 4:36 am
Flooding last spring delayed the start of the survey along downstream portions of the river. The Grand Forks-based clerk, originally scheduled to start in May, didn’t start until mid-June.
- Climate change threatens global fisherieson March 23, 2023 at 2:06 pm
The diet quality of fish across large parts of the world's oceans could decline by up to 10% as climate change impacts an integral part of marine food chains, a major study has found. QUT School ...
- New genome sequencing shows inbreeding contributes to decline of endangered killer whaleson March 20, 2023 at 12:34 pm
The small size and isolation of the endangered population of Southern Resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest have led to high levels of inbreeding. This inbreeding has contributed to their ...
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Offshore Energy
- Hitachi Energy and Petrofac secure landmark offshore wind agreement worth approximately 13 billion euroson March 30, 2023 at 1:01 am
Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, and Petrofac, a leading international service provider to the ...
- Petrofac, Hitachi Energy Get $14.10 Bln Agreement to Expand Offshore Wind Capacityon March 29, 2023 at 11:38 pm
By Kyle Morris Petrofac Ltd. said Thursday that it and Hitachi Energy have been awarded a multiyear agreement worth around 13 billion euros ($14.10 ...
- Biden Admin Brags About Wind Energy the Same Day It Holds Huge Offshore Oil Auctionon March 29, 2023 at 5:00 pm
The Interior Department is selling 73 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico for new fossil fuel development, but don't pay that any mind. There's a new wind plan!
- US energy officials release strategy to boost offshore windon March 29, 2023 at 1:05 pm
- Guests tour the five turbines of America's first offshore wind farm, owned by the Danish company, Orsted, off the coast of Block Island, R.I., as part of a wind power confe ...
- Energy Department releases offshore wind energy planon March 29, 2023 at 12:34 pm
The Energy Department released a plan on Wednesday to meet President Joe Biden's goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore energy by 2030, which would power 10 million homes.
- Gov. Wes Moore aims for Maryland to lead in offshore wind energy, despite some reservationson March 29, 2023 at 12:16 pm
From the beginning, Gov. Wes Moore has made it clear clean energy is big on his agenda, particularly offshore wind energy.
- Energy Department unveils strategy to boost offshore wind energyon March 29, 2023 at 9:16 am
The Energy Department released a new strategy on Wednesday to expand domestic offshore wind energy. Energy Department officials unveiled their new plan to met President Biden’s goal of deploying 30 ...
- Offshore energy industry pleads with Hunt for help: Windfall tax ‘rocked investor confidence’ amid US threaton March 2, 2023 at 2:02 am
Offshore Energies UK has written to Hunt, City A.M. has learned, with the group calling on the chancellor to restore confidence in the domestic energy sector. Criticising the new toughened ...
- Offshore revenue sharing considered by U.S. House committeeon February 28, 2023 at 4:25 pm
WASHINGTON – The latest in a long series of Louisiana efforts to wrest more money from the federal government’s offshore energy production took its first step Tuesday in a U.S. House committee.
- Biden considers first offshore wind auction in Gulf of Mexicoon February 23, 2023 at 6:00 pm
The Biden administration said Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, it is considering the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico, a key part of a push to deploy 30 gigawatts of ...
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