Part 2 of 3 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
      Zooplankton are the base of the marine food chain. They are extremely important to the health of the world’s ocean. Researchers have discovered that seismic surveys significantly increase the death rate of zooplankton in the three quarters of a mile range they tested. All larval krill were killed in the range of the test.
     The RFL’s report states that the NWS surveys will take place when zooplankton populations are expected to be high. These creatures provide a food source for a wide variety of organisms including baleen whales, basking sharks and fish. These species feed many other species.
     Many other marine animals also rely on sound for survival. Seismic testing can interfere with basic functions such as feeding, mating, navigation, and communications. According to the Zoological Society of London’s Cetacean Stranding Investigation programs, “Noise exposure can be a problem for a wide variety of Cetaceans-dolphins, porpoises and whales. Noise related impacts have also been causally linked to many cetacean stranding and mass stranding events globally.”
     The NWS investigation will focus on a survey area three to twelve miles Cumbrian Coast in the northwest of England in an area approximately one hundred square miles in extent. The proposed GDF may extend over an area fifteen miles square, deep beneath the seabed.
     This region is one of a number of designated Marine Conservation Zones in the Irish Sea. The region has protected habitats and is home to a variety of protected European species. These include sea turtles, minke whales, common and bottlenose dolphins and harbor porpoises.
     Joan Edwards is the director of policy at the Wildlife Trusts. She said, “The Irish Sea is rich in marine life, from soft corals and reefs that provide shelter for crabs and anemones to seals, whales and around 30 species of shark. Sandbanks and gravel habitats are vital nursery grounds for flatfish, sea bass, and sea eels, while also acting as a feeding ground for thousands of breeding seabirds. We are concerned about the implications of seismic testing in the Irish Sea, which evidence shows can be devastating for marine life.”
     Marine habitats are already under huge pressure from pollution, irresponsible development and bottom trawling. Climate change is also producing stress on marine ecosystems. The RFL report claims that many of the hugely important marine species found in the area have not been sufficiently studied for their sensitivity to seismic surveys.
    Tim Deere-Jones is a marine radioactivity researcher and consultant. He is the author of the RFL report. He said that NWS’s license application for the seismic survey is characterized by a ‘marked lack of transparency.’ The NWS’s application also shows a refusal to engage in consultation with the public and marine stakeholders such as fisherman. Deere-Jones claims that the NWS has carried out what is basically a private environmental impact assessment without any independent oversight.
     Deere-Jones says that NWS has ignored a comment from Professor Popper who is a leading authority on fish bioacoustics. Popper has warned of a clear “information gap” that makes it makes it impossible to draw a clear conclusion on the effects that these airgun blasts could have on marine animal behavior or health.
Please read Part 3 next