Twenty years ago last month, the supertanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Prince William Sound and ran aground, releasing 40 million liters {approximately 10 million gallons) into the surrounding sea and onto the beaches. It remains the worst oil spill in US maritime history. In the days that followed, impact inventories revealed the lethal outcome: a quarter of a million sea birds had been killed, along with 22 Orca whales, nearly 3000 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, and unknown millions of fish eggs.
In 1991, the Alaskan and US Governments reached an agreement with Exxon Mobil in a 900 million dollar settlement, almost 200 million of which was set aside for scientific study of the disaster and its impact on the PWS ecosystem. Exxon Mobile also funded its own studies (generating 400 papers and reports) which were frequently in disagreement with the government scientists’ reports and findings.
Twenty years after, the Exxon Valdez spill has become the most studied maritime, industrial disaster ever. A news report in Science Magazine (March 26, 2009) by Lila Guterman (with Jacopo Pasotti reporting) presented some of the scientific findings from the post-spill research.
By Derek Markham •
December 4, 2008
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), just released a report showing that in recent decades, the noise created in the ocean by human activities has risen significantly, which poses a major threat to marine mammals.
Commercial shipping noise, seismic exploration, sonar, and off-shore construction and recreational activities are all contributing to an increasingly more disorientating environment for mammals in the ocean.
Under-water sounds for communication, navigation and food locating are key for whales, dolphins, porpoises and other cetaceans. Man-made noise pollution can cause behavioral changes such as abandoning breeding and feeding areas, and in some cases lead to mass stranding and even death.
“Protecting marine species from ocean noise is critical to their survival. Ocean noise can travel over vast distances and affect marine species across many national sea boundaries. Therefore it is vital that countries work together to build strong agreements to prevent marine species being drowned out by disruptive, man-made noise.” - Veronica Frank, IFAW Campaign Officer
By Andrew Williams •
November 13, 2008
In a landmark case, the US Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the US Navy can carry out sonar training exercises off the southern California coast, without safeguards designed to protect whales, dolphins and other marine mammals.
By Amanda Peterka •
October 8, 2008
The Supreme Court today began hearing a case that questions who (or what creatures) get dibs on the ocean waters off the coast of California.
By Jennifer Lance •
January 4, 2008
U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper ordered the Navy to refrain from using the powerful submarine-hunting sonar within 12 miles of the California coast, thus protecting migrating gray whales, dolphins and other marine mammals. The Navy must spend an hour before any sonar training missions searching for marine mammals, and use shipboard observers and aircraft to monitor for whales and dolphins while the sonar is in use. If any marine mammals are spotted [...]
