Over 70 percent of our planet is covered in water. Despite its all-encompassing scope, oceans are not able to compete with the negligence and greed of human beings.

Plastic pollution is a major contributor to the destruction of oceans, so much so that marine animals are regularly found with stomachs full of plastic, and it is predicted there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050. Marine life like whales, dolphins, and sea turtles are also regularly caught in fishing nets, adding additional tragedy to the overfishing of our oceans. And there is yet another serious factor that is harming our oceans and marine life: offshore oil drilling.

According to a petition on Care2 written by the advocacy and protection group, Environmental Action, offshore oil drilling is a serious issue that is hurting oceans and wildlife in major ways. Not only do offshore oil drills pose the risk of dangerous oil spills, but the seismic blasts from the drilling process are also disrupting the lives of all living things.

The petition states that these seismic blasts are so unbelievably loud that they can be heard from up to 2,500 miles away! To put that into perspective, that is about the distance from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.!

This massive noise pollution is called “acoustic smog” by marine biologists, and it drastically interferes with marine animals’ sensory perceptions and communication. As Environmental Action explains,”Animals that rely on sonar and listening to ‘see’ can go blind and can’t function properly. For animals like whales and dolphins that use sound to eat, hunt, find mates, navigate and communicate with their young families, these sonic booms could be a death sentence.”

The Trump Administration has plans to set up offshore oil drills in protected areas of the Atlantic Ocean, plans which have already been opposed by 120 East Coast municipalities that are also affected by the deafening seismic blasts. If you cannot stand to see our oceans and wildlife affected in such a destructive manner, please take a moment to sign the petition addressed to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and voice your opinion.

And please share this with your network to gain more support for our oceans and marine life!

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