In the ocean, light only penetrates a few hundred feet, while sound can travel thousands of miles without losing substantial energy. Because of this, sound — and the ability to detect it — is critically important to marine life. Many species rely on sound as their primary tool to communicate, navigate, avoid predators, locate food, and find mates. But seismic airgun blasting, which is used by the oil and gas industry to detect fossil fuel deposits beneath the seafloor, impacts these essential behaviors.
Not only does seismic blasting threaten fisheries and wildlife, but it is also the first step toward dirty and dangerous offshore drilling. Despite these risks, on April 18, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced its intention to establish a schedule of offshore oil and gas lease sales through a new National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Program (Five-Year Plan) that could open all U.S. waters to seismic blasting and offshore drilling. Seismic blasting has devastating impacts on marine life, including injury and death. Federal leaders should not advance any plans that include an expansion of destructive seismic blasting.
HOW DOES SEISMIC AIRGUN BLASTING WORK?
A typical oil and gas seismic survey involves a ship traveling across the ocean in successive parallel lines while towing a number of seismic airguns. The airguns release pressurized air blasts to create powerful sound waves that move through the water column and penetrate thousands of feet into the seabed. These sound waves travel as echoes back to the surface, where they are captured by audio monitors called hydrophones.
The data provide information about geological layers deep beneath the seafloor for identification of fossil fuel reserves. In contrast, the offshore wind industry does not use these deep-penetration seismic surveys but instead relies on High Resolution Geophysical (HRG) surveys for project siting. Unlike seismic blasting, HRG surveys target the seafloor and shallow subsurface, cover small areas, emit little energy, and operate at higher frequencies that are generally undetectable by marine mammals. According to BOEM, HRG surveys are not expected to injure marine mammals or sea turtles.
IMPACTS ON FISHERIES
Seismic airgun blasting threatens fish at every stage of their life cycle and harvest process. Fish flee the blasting zone to escape the noise, including commercially important species, resulting in immediate losses to the communities who depend on healthy fisheries. Species that cannot escape the blast zone, such as pink snapper, scallops, and lobster, can also be injured. These injuries impede their ability to forage, find mates, and evade predators, with near-term impacts to the health and abundance of our fisheries and marine ecosystems. Seismic airgun blasting also injures the larvae and young of commercially valuable species, jeopardizing the future sustainability of fisheries and their ability to recover.
IMMEDIATE IMPACTS: DEATH AND INJURY
- Significant increase in mortality for scallops exposed to seismic airgun noise, particularly over long periods of time, and for months after exposure. Changes in scallop behavior after exposure, impacting their ability to forage and reproduce for those that survived the seismic blasting.
- Damage to small organs that control balance and orientation in rock lobsters up to a year after seismic airgun blasting occurred.
REDUCED CATCH
- 45%–70% reduction in catch rates of Atlantic cod, haddock, and Pacific rockfish species after seismic blasting. In 2024, commercial landings of these species in U.S. fisheries were valued at over $23 million.
- 22% reduction in the capture of western rock lobsters that were exposed to seismic blasting, and reduced likelihood of survival for those exposed lobsters.
THREATS TO THE FUTURE OF OUR FISHERIES
- Slower development rates in crabs and scallop larvae after repeated exposure to nearby seismic sound.
IMPACTS ON MARINE MAMMALS
Marine mammals rely on sound for feeding, communication, navigation, and other behaviors necessary for survival. Seismic airgun noise can cause hearing injury and behavioral changes, chronic stress, and compromised immune systems. North Atlantic right whales (NARW) are critically endangered, and these impacts could be catastrophic for their future survival and recovery.
INTERRUPTION OF FEEDING AND COMMUNICATION
- Bowhead whales change their breathing patterns, avoid areas with active seismic blasting, and silence their vocalizations, which could interrupt communication between whales, including mothers, calves, and potential mates.
- Declines in the feeding rates of sperm whales.
- Abandonment of fin whale habitat and altered vocalizations.
- Zooplankton are one of the main prey species for marine mammals like NARW. Four days after exposure to seismic blasting in a laboratory setting, nearly all the zooplankton died. And at distances of 3/4 of a mile from a seismic gun blast in the ocean, a study found a 200-300% increase in dead larval and adult zooplankton.
IMPACTS ON SEA TURTLES
While there are many possible and demonstrated ramifications, seismic impacts to sea turtles have been understudied, and more research is needed. Existing studies show negative impacts.
EXAMPLES INCLUDE
- Increases in erratic swimming behavior.
- Risk of entanglement in survey equipment.
- Sea turtle hearing range overlaps with higher frequency seismic blasts, which could result in hearing damage.
WE MUST PREVENT SEISMIC BLASTING IN OUR OCEANS
CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION MUST PREVENT SEISMIC BLASTING IN OUR OCEANS. Our elected leaders must protect the diverse array of whales, fish, turtles, and invertebrates that live along our coasts and are threatened by proposed seismic airgun blasting. The potential damage to marine animals and ecosystems, and the communities and industries that depend on these resources, is too great to risk. We must not use seismic blasting in U.S. waters.
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A Path to Destruction: Seismic Airgun Blasting for Oil and Gas
Not only does seismic blasting threaten fisheries and wildlife, but it is also the first step toward dirty and dangerous offshore drilling. Despite these risks, on April 18, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced its intention to establish a schedule of offshore oil and gas lease sales through a new National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Program (Five-Year Plan) that could open all U.S. waters to seismic blasting and offshore drilling. Seismic blasting has devastating impacts on marine life, including injury and death. Federal leaders should not advance any plans that include an expansion of destructive seismic blasting.
HOW DOES SEISMIC AIRGUN BLASTING WORK?
A typical oil and gas seismic survey involves a ship traveling across the ocean in successive parallel lines while towing a number of seismic airguns. The airguns release pressurized air blasts to create powerful sound waves that move through the water column and penetrate thousands of feet into the seabed. These sound waves travel as echoes back to the surface, where they are captured by audio monitors called hydrophones.
The data provide information about geological layers deep beneath the seafloor for identification of fossil fuel reserves. In contrast, the offshore wind industry does not use these deep-penetration seismic surveys but instead relies on High Resolution Geophysical (HRG) surveys for project siting. Unlike seismic blasting, HRG surveys target the seafloor and shallow subsurface, cover small areas, emit little energy, and operate at higher frequencies that are generally undetectable by marine mammals. According to BOEM, HRG surveys are not expected to injure marine mammals or sea turtles.
IMPACTS ON FISHERIES
Seismic airgun blasting threatens fish at every stage of their life cycle and harvest process. Fish flee the blasting zone to escape the noise, including commercially important species, resulting in immediate losses to the communities who depend on healthy fisheries. Species that cannot escape the blast zone, such as pink snapper, scallops, and lobster, can also be injured. These injuries impede their ability to forage, find mates, and evade predators, with near-term impacts to the health and abundance of our fisheries and marine ecosystems. Seismic airgun blasting also injures the larvae and young of commercially valuable species, jeopardizing the future sustainability of fisheries and their ability to recover.
IMMEDIATE IMPACTS: DEATH AND INJURY
- Significant increase in mortality for scallops exposed to seismic airgun noise, particularly over long periods of time, and for months after exposure. Changes in scallop behavior after exposure, impacting their ability to forage and reproduce for those that survived the seismic blasting.
- Damage to small organs that control balance and orientation in rock lobsters up to a year after seismic airgun blasting occurred.
REDUCED CATCH
- 45%–70% reduction in catch rates of Atlantic cod, haddock, and Pacific rockfish species after seismic blasting. In 2024, commercial landings of these species in U.S. fisheries were valued at over $23 million.
- 22% reduction in the capture of western rock lobsters that were exposed to seismic blasting, and reduced likelihood of survival for those exposed lobsters.
THREATS TO THE FUTURE OF OUR FISHERIES
- Slower development rates in crabs and scallop larvae after repeated exposure to nearby seismic sound.
IMPACTS ON MARINE MAMMALS
Marine mammals rely on sound for feeding, communication, navigation, and other behaviors necessary for survival. Seismic airgun noise can cause hearing injury and behavioral changes, chronic stress, and compromised immune systems. North Atlantic right whales (NARW) are critically endangered, and these impacts could be catastrophic for their future survival and recovery.
INTERRUPTION OF FEEDING AND COMMUNICATION
- Bowhead whales change their breathing patterns, avoid areas with active seismic blasting, and silence their vocalizations, which could interrupt communication between whales, including mothers, calves, and potential mates.
- Declines in the feeding rates of sperm whales.
- Abandonment of fin whale habitat and altered vocalizations.
- Zooplankton are one of the main prey species for marine mammals like NARW. Four days after exposure to seismic blasting in a laboratory setting, nearly all the zooplankton died. And at distances of 3/4 of a mile from a seismic gun blast in the ocean, a study found a 200-300% increase in dead larval and adult zooplankton.
IMPACTS ON SEA TURTLES
While there are many possible and demonstrated ramifications, seismic impacts to sea turtles have been understudied, and more research is needed. Existing studies show negative impacts.
EXAMPLES INCLUDE
- Increases in erratic swimming behavior.
- Risk of entanglement in survey equipment.
- Sea turtle hearing range overlaps with higher frequency seismic blasts, which could result in hearing damage.
WE MUST PREVENT SEISMIC BLASTING IN OUR OCEANS
CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION MUST PREVENT SEISMIC BLASTING IN OUR OCEANS. Our elected leaders must protect the diverse array of whales, fish, turtles, and invertebrates that live along our coasts and are threatened by proposed seismic airgun blasting. The potential damage to marine animals and ecosystems, and the communities and industries that depend on these resources, is too great to risk. We must not use seismic blasting in U.S. waters.
