SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
John Hocevar presents a soft coral species taken from the seafloor of the Chukchi Sea near a proposed Shell drill site. To date, no form of corals are know to exist in the area. The Greenpeace ship Esperanza is on an Arctic expedition to study unexplored ocean habitats threatened by offshore oil drilling, as well as industrial fishing fleets. (Photo byJiri Rezac / Greenpeace(c) Jiri Rezac / Greenpeace
/ Jiri Rezac / Greenpeace)
Greenpeace Discovers Sensitive Coral at Shell's Arctic Drill Site
Exploration vessels deployed by Greenpeace have discovered several coral species thriving on the ocean floor right where Shell is set to begin drilling in the Chukchi Sea.
Environmental groups have being fighting hard to prevent the oil company from starting its drilling operation, saying that the threat to the fragile arctic ecosystem is imperiled by the rush for offshore oil deposits.
Jul 31, 2012
Exploration vessels deployed by Greenpeace have discovered several coral species thriving on the ocean floor right where Shell is set to begin drilling in the Chukchi Sea.
Environmental groups have being fighting hard to prevent the oil company from starting its drilling operation, saying that the threat to the fragile arctic ecosystem is imperiled by the rush for offshore oil deposits.
"Discovering abundant corals in the Arctic waters right where Shell plans to drill this summer shows just how little is known about this fragile and unique region. Melting sea ice is not an invitation for offshore drilling in the Arctic, it's a warning that this pristine environment should be protected and dedicated to science," said John Hocevar, marine biologist and Oceans Campaign Director for Greenpeace USA.
Although Shell told the Washington Post that the company knew about corals at the Chukchi drill site, the environmental impact statement for its drilling program does not mention them. Deep sea corals provide critical habitat for fish and other marine life, and have been prioritized for protection by the United Nations and the US government. Corals are very long-lived, slow growing creatures that are highly vulnerable to disturbance.
"Why doesn't the environmental impact statement for Shell's Chukchi drilling program adequately discuss Arctic corals at the proposed drilling location? What else has the public not been told about the environment of the proposed drill sites?" said Rick Steiner, retired University of Alaska professor of conservation biology.
The Greenpeace ship Esperanza is in the Arctic with a Waitt Institute submarine to study the marine habitats threatened by Shell's planned drilling program. The expedition is part of the environmental organization's "Save the Arctic" campaign, in which over 1 million people have joined together to call for a global sanctuary in the high Arctic, and a ban on offshore drilling and unsustainable fishing in Arctic waters.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Exploration vessels deployed by Greenpeace have discovered several coral species thriving on the ocean floor right where Shell is set to begin drilling in the Chukchi Sea.
Environmental groups have being fighting hard to prevent the oil company from starting its drilling operation, saying that the threat to the fragile arctic ecosystem is imperiled by the rush for offshore oil deposits.
"Discovering abundant corals in the Arctic waters right where Shell plans to drill this summer shows just how little is known about this fragile and unique region. Melting sea ice is not an invitation for offshore drilling in the Arctic, it's a warning that this pristine environment should be protected and dedicated to science," said John Hocevar, marine biologist and Oceans Campaign Director for Greenpeace USA.
Although Shell told the Washington Post that the company knew about corals at the Chukchi drill site, the environmental impact statement for its drilling program does not mention them. Deep sea corals provide critical habitat for fish and other marine life, and have been prioritized for protection by the United Nations and the US government. Corals are very long-lived, slow growing creatures that are highly vulnerable to disturbance.
"Why doesn't the environmental impact statement for Shell's Chukchi drilling program adequately discuss Arctic corals at the proposed drilling location? What else has the public not been told about the environment of the proposed drill sites?" said Rick Steiner, retired University of Alaska professor of conservation biology.
The Greenpeace ship Esperanza is in the Arctic with a Waitt Institute submarine to study the marine habitats threatened by Shell's planned drilling program. The expedition is part of the environmental organization's "Save the Arctic" campaign, in which over 1 million people have joined together to call for a global sanctuary in the high Arctic, and a ban on offshore drilling and unsustainable fishing in Arctic waters.
Exploration vessels deployed by Greenpeace have discovered several coral species thriving on the ocean floor right where Shell is set to begin drilling in the Chukchi Sea.
Environmental groups have being fighting hard to prevent the oil company from starting its drilling operation, saying that the threat to the fragile arctic ecosystem is imperiled by the rush for offshore oil deposits.
"Discovering abundant corals in the Arctic waters right where Shell plans to drill this summer shows just how little is known about this fragile and unique region. Melting sea ice is not an invitation for offshore drilling in the Arctic, it's a warning that this pristine environment should be protected and dedicated to science," said John Hocevar, marine biologist and Oceans Campaign Director for Greenpeace USA.
Although Shell told the Washington Post that the company knew about corals at the Chukchi drill site, the environmental impact statement for its drilling program does not mention them. Deep sea corals provide critical habitat for fish and other marine life, and have been prioritized for protection by the United Nations and the US government. Corals are very long-lived, slow growing creatures that are highly vulnerable to disturbance.
"Why doesn't the environmental impact statement for Shell's Chukchi drilling program adequately discuss Arctic corals at the proposed drilling location? What else has the public not been told about the environment of the proposed drill sites?" said Rick Steiner, retired University of Alaska professor of conservation biology.
The Greenpeace ship Esperanza is in the Arctic with a Waitt Institute submarine to study the marine habitats threatened by Shell's planned drilling program. The expedition is part of the environmental organization's "Save the Arctic" campaign, in which over 1 million people have joined together to call for a global sanctuary in the high Arctic, and a ban on offshore drilling and unsustainable fishing in Arctic waters.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.