Oil Platforms in California's Coastal Waters Prove to Be Better Habitats for Aquatic Animals Than Reefs .

Date Published: September 22, 2014

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Institutions Involved: Vantuna Research Group, Department of Biology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA ; Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA and Pacific Region, Environmental Sciences Section, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Camarillo, CA

It has been observed that oil harvesting platforms off the coast of California are teeming with abundant sea creatures and have become the home for many fish. Scientists claim they need to understand oil platform habitats to aid in constructing policies for the safe removal of exhausted oil platforms. With the removal of about 7,500 oil platforms scientists are concerned about the rich habitat that will also be destroyed along with the platforms. One main concern that they have is which oil platform structures are the best types of environments for the fish in comparison to the reefs which are the natural homes of sea animals. By studying oil platform habitats, scientists also hope to gain ideas for improving future underwater structures that will serve as habitats for sea creatures.

To study which underwater habitat was the best for fish, scientists compared the secondary production of fish on oil platforms with secondary production of fish on natural reefs on California's coast. Their results showed that the greatest secondary fish production was, in fact,  concentrated on oil platforms. The reason behind this finding is that oil platforms maintain a substantial amount of surface area vertically while the base of the structure only takes up a small portion of the sea floor. The multiple compartments and inlets in the structure also increase the capacity of the platform. Due to its midwater location, the artificial reefs, as they have been coined, are also more convenient for fish than reefs on the sea floor where most predators also reside.

By further studying the oil and gas platforms located in the waters, scientists hope to gain more information about oceanography and how the platforms impact the growth of other  types of sea life. Studying the structures and marine animals that live on them will help scientists better modify future installments to ultimately sustain and preserve aquatic life.

Citation: Jeremy T. C., D.J. Pondella, M. Love, L. a. Zahn, C.M. Williams, J.P. Williams, and A. S. Bull. 2014. Oil Platforms off California are among the most productive marine fish habitats globally.Proceedins of the National Academy of Sciences. 111:15462-15467