Photo: Emma Hickerson: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Oil Drilling and Marine Sanctuaries
by Carol Georgi
San Luis Obispo County is a coastal economy and home to many who depend on the ocean's resources. As we watch the loss of livelihoods and destruction of coastal waters and marine life caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, we need to take action to protect ourselves and our coastal waters.
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS), like all national marine sanctuaries, prohibits oil and gas drilling within its boundaries. "Activities that could cause long-term harm to the ocean's health—like oil drilling— are completely prohibited. Many others, like fishing and boating, are allowed." Therefore, if our SLO County coastal waters became the Southern Unit of the MBNMS, with our own local advisory council, our ocean-related jobs, like fishing and tourism, as well as our marine ecosystems, would be forever protected from fate that has befallen the Gulf of Mexico, the threat of oil drilling and the destruction of oil spills.
Right now, SLO coastal waters constitute a vulnerable sanctuary "doughnut hole." Since SLO County coastal waters lie between two national marine sanctuaries, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, oil drilling in our SLO coastal waters would be a threat to the marine life in both of those sanctuaries.
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Could Affect Three National Marine Sanctuaries
"As the nation grapples with one of the worst oil spills in our history, we still have no idea of the extent of the damage and impacts that will be felt across the Gulf of Mexico, among coastal communities, and by marine resources. As the oil enters the currents of the Gulf, we may very well see impacts along the southeastern seaboard of the United States."
Located about 100 miles off the United States coasts of Texas and Louisiana, this sanctuary is known for coral reef underwater communities that sit on top of salt domes that probably began developing 10,000 to 15,000 years ago.
Surrounding the entire archipelago (chain or cluster of islands) of the Florida Keys and containing some of the most extensive living coral reefs in North American waters, this sanctuary is considered a national treasure worthy of preservation. The Florida Keys coral reef ecosystem is described as benthic habitats on or near the sea floor of beds of seagrass, areas of mud and sand, and coral reefs that provide food and shelter to a rich array of animals.
Located off the Georgia coast, this is one of the largest nearshore live-bottom reefs in the southeastern United States.
This sanctuary is currently the only natural protected reef area offshore of the Georgia coast and one of only a few natural marine protected areas in the ocean between Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and Cape Canaveral, Florida.
As the threat from the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster moves toward these three sanctuaries, we need to be concerned about not only the survival of these special marine ecosystems, but also about how the sanctuary communities are likely to be severely impacted. "These communities rely on the sanctuaries for livelihoods, recreation, tourism, and fishing -- all activities likely to be adversely impacted in coming weeks and months."
Photo: Emma Hickerson: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary