‘Every square inch is covered in life’: the ageing oil rigs that became marine oases

www.theguardian.com ‘Every square inch is covered in life’: the ageing oil rigs that became marine oases

Built decades ago, California’s offshore oil platforms are home to a huge diversity of marine life. Now a debate rages over their future

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.”
Now, as California and the US shift away from offshore drilling and toward greener energy, a debate is mounting over their future. On one side are those who argue disused rigs are an environmental blight and should be removed entirely. On the other side are people, many of them scientists, who say we should embrace these accidental oases and that removing the structures is morally wrong. In other parts of the world, oil rigs have successfully become artificial reefs, in a policy known as rigs to reefs.

You're viewing a single thread.

25 comments

Is it possible to remove the part that's above sea level and make a reef out of that, next to what's already below the surface? That way nobody has to see these ugly structures and the sea life get more reef.
- Sure, anything is possible without enough c4.
  Whether it's economical to do so and the risks of making a submerged navigation hazard are worthwhile is up for debate.
  I suspect we'll land in between - many of these rigs are far beyond where anyone is likely to see them and should be retained as is. The ones closer to the coast should probably be decommissioned or modified as you suggest with navigation markers.
  
  I mean why destroy them at all. I have yet to read the article and I’m ready to fall asleep so hopefully this is a coherent thought, but why not try to convert it into a research station or something wild life can use
  Actually I do know why they don’t covert it because it’ll probably cost a lot and that’s without concern of ownership and all that fun stuff
  
  Removing the top part would mean ships have no visual cue there’s a bunch of metal underneath the surface that could wreck their ship. Better to just leave it intact.
  
  Thats a good point. Hide it just below the surface so ships wreck themselves on it. Those sink and become more reefs that then go on to scuttle more ships. Circle of life!
  
  Ted Kaczynski liked that
  
  Ah that seems slightly important and something I had not considered
  
  Ships use charts to dodge such things. All of those rigs should already be on the charts so as long as the "reef" is deep enough for small boats to pass over it should be all good.
  
  Tbh I'd kinda like to see some of them turned into hotels. It's not that I like oil drilling, but these rigs are still incredibly huge and complicated structures, and given more or less full access to a decommissioned oil rig and a decent camera I could possibly spend a couple days just exploring there.
  
  The upkeep costs would be huge, I imagine. They hard to access and are not designed for human leisure. Maybe one oil plataform could do it, for the novelty seeking guests, but can't think how the costs are going to work.
- Maybe the top part can be something socially useful like a weather station and scuba school.
- Ah yes such unsightly things out in the middle of nowhere where the average human being will never be within seeing distance of. How ugly they are out there completely out of sight from 90% of the human population.
  
  I sailed out of TX earlier this year and the amount of shit out there was depressing. It's like an industrial wasteland out in the ocean. Polluted and forgotten. But you're right, that's not something most people will ever encounter.
- What do you mean man the rigs look dope as shit. The only good thing to come out of fossil fuel industry
- I mean, isn't the point of this article that they won't stay that way?
  Humans alter the landscape, but when nature takes it back why take away what it's making use of?
  Why does everything have to be for us?
- What about ships passing through. How are they supposed to avoid scraping their bottoms on the columns if they can't see the columns. I think there needs to be enough structure above water too.
  
  Using the same charts they're already using. Those things aren't visible in the dark or when it's raining/foggy etc. Ships rely on charts and known channels.

25 comments