Seismic testing would devastate our area’s beauty

My dad and I were on a pier watching the tide draw in when I saw a dolphin swimming in the ocean for the first time. It leaped in and out of the waves, followed by another, then another, and suddenly, like magic, they were gone.

Moments like this are what we stand to lose if seismic testing is allowed to proceed in the Atlantic.

Studies conducted by the federal government show just how devastating the effects of seismic testing can be on marine life. Seismic testing uses intense and frequent blasts of sound to search for oil and gas deposits under the sea floor, which would result in 138,500 whales and dolphins who would be injured or killed. Seismic testing is also the first step towards offshore drilling, which would further devastate marine ecosystems.

Right now, President Obama’s administration is deciding whether to allow seismic testing along our coast. I urge everyone who has a fond memory of the beach, like me, to call on the president to block seismic testing in the Atlantic.

This story was originally published October 19, 2016 at 9:02 AM with the headline "Seismic testing would devastate our area’s beauty."