New research by
Jeremy Claisse and colleagues at Occidental College in Los Angles have discovered
that secondary fish production at oil and gas platforms off the coast of
California is up to an order of magnitude
higher than other marine ecosystems. This includes reefs and estuaries,
normally considered some of the most productive ecosystems on the planet.  |
The authors measured the
total productivity at oil and gas platforms and divided by the platform’s
footprint to get a per-square-metre productivity. Herein lies the secret: The
authors attribute these phenomenal productivities to the large hardscape
(physical surfaces of the rigs) to seafloor ratio.
Having a
structure that spans the total water column creates a range of habitats for a
diverse variety of species and life stages, as well as creating a complex
structure with large surface area which translates directly into habitat. This
habitat attracts many species including rockfish larvae, invertebrates and
planktonic food resources. These form the base of the food web, subsequently
attracting adult fish and other organisms.
These results
have important implications for the future of the more than 7500 oil and gas
platforms around the world that will need to be decommissioned at the end of
their service life. Should they be dismantled, or left as artificial reefs?
Should future platforms and wind turbines be designed with an afterlife as an
artificial reef in mind? Could these structures one day dot the seas with
aquatic metropolises?
Claisse, J., Pondella, D., Love, M., Zahn, L., Williams, C., Williams, J., & Bull, A. (2014). Oil platforms off California are among the most productive marine fish habitats globally Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111 (43), 15462-15467 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1411477111
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