Mortality of fish subjected to explosive shock as applied to oil well severance on Georges Bank

Baxter, Lincoln; Hays, Earl E.; Hampson, George R.; Backus, Richard H.

Mortality of fish subjected to explosive shock as applied to oil well severance on Georges Bank

1982

Baxter, Lincoln | Hays, Earl E. | Hampson, George R. | Backus, Richard H.

Prepared for the Technology Assessment andResearch Program of the Minerals ManagementService, Department of the Interior, underContract 14-08-0001-18920.

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A very extensive bibliography of papers on underwater explosionsand their effects on marine life has been collected andsummarized. When exposed to blast effects, vertebrates with swimbladders or lungs that contain gas are at least an order ofmagnitude more sensitive than other life. Regression analysis ofseveral different experiments on explosive damage to fish has beencombined with reports of fish concentrations and explosives usedin oil well severance in order to estimate the probable extent ofdamage to fish populations from a limited number of severanceexplosions. Damage per explosion should not be significant and isprobably considerably less than that caused by a one hour tow of abottom trawl net.

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