<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/15/california-abandoned-offshore-oil-marine-life-fish-sanctuary>
"On a recent August afternoon, Ann Scarborough Bull motored out two miles from
the coast of Santa Barbara onboard a research vessel called the
Danny C. The
marine biologist and her colleagues had an unusual destination in their sights:
a disused oil platform that loomed ahead like a forgotten skyscraper reaching
up from the horizon.
The team wasn’t interested in the platform itself, but what lurked beneath.
When they reached the ageing structure, named
Holly, they lowered a car-sized
remote-controlled vehicle under the waves.
There, they saw hundreds of thousands of juvenile rockfish finding shelter amid
the hulking metal structure, alongside waving white anemones, clusters of
mussels, and silver jack mackerel.
The seasoned marine biologists have been observing this remarkable spectacle
for years.
Holly, which was put out of use in 2015, is one of 27 oil rigs
built off the coast of California decades ago that have become hotbeds of
biological activity.
While not natural structures, their platforms have been embedded into the muddy
seabed long enough to become part of the ocean environment, providing a home
for creatures like mussels and barnacles, which in turn attract larger fish and
sea lions that find safety and food there.
After two and a half decades of studying the rigs, Bull says it’s clear to her:
“These places are extremely productive, both for commercial and recreational
fisheries and for invertebrates.”"
Via
Future Crunch:
<
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-education-girls-crime-uk-ocean-conservation-new-zealand/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
