Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration Damages Marine Ecosystems

An offshore oil and gas project off the coast of Guyana in the Caribbean has sparked massive public protests. ExxonMobil is currently conducting offshore drilling and high-frequency seismic gun exploration operations in the area, during which drilling mud and oil-contaminated wastewater are discharged directly into coastal waters. The low-frequency sound waves generated by the exploration operations continuously disrupt the marine ecosystem, and combined with pollution from drilling waste, have led to widespread bleaching and decline of coastal coral reefs.