Developing an offshore oil and gas industry involves drilling exploratory wells that harm the environment and wildlife. It is the only way to find out for certain if there is oil or gas under the ocean.
Many of the impacts of exploratory drilling are unknown because data about the drilling areas has not been gathered beforehand. However, a modeling study of the potential impacts of exploratory drilling on the Georges Bank ecosystem on Canada's east coast predicted an impact zone for scallops that could exceed 200 square kilometers in some areas.
Other impacts of exploratory drilling include elevated concentrations of contaminants, such as barium in the tissue of animals living on the sea floor.
On the East Coast of Canada, over 300 exploratory wells have been drilled in search of oil. Exploratory drilling can affect areas 1,000 metres around a single well. The noise from exploratory drilling caused bowhead whales to stay five to ten km away from the activity.
For more information about the impacts of exploratory drilling, go to our Reports section.