Should Offshore Oil Rigs Be Turned into Artificial Reefs?

Oil rigs around the world are habitats for marine species. When they stop producing oil, should they be removed or allowed to stay?

To Remove or to Reef

Defunct oil rigs off the coast of California are slated to be removed by the end of the decade. But one biologist is arguing that some parts of them should remain, journalist Asher Radziner reports in our December issue. The reason? The underwater bases of the rigs have become home to a thriving assortment of ocean life, effectively making them artificial reefs. The idea—colloquially called “rigs to reefs”—has been shown to bolster fish populations elsewhere, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico. Not everyone is sold on the idea, with some experts and advocates saying it lets oil and gas companies off the hook for environmental damage and that the seafloor should be restored to its natural state.

How it works: First, oil wells are plugged and sealed. Experts conduct an environmental review of the site. If a rig is selected to become an artificial reef, the portions of the rig above the surface and up to a certain depth below the water are removed to prevent damage to passing ships. The rest of the rig is left to the fish, mussels, sea anemones and other creatures that have latched on to the structure.

What the experts say: “As a biologist, I just give people facts. But I have my own view as a citizen, which is: I just think it’s criminal to kill huge numbers of animals because they settled on a piece of steel instead of a rock,” says Milton Love, a biologist at the Marine Science Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara. — Andrea Thompson