THE JOB
DEEP DIVE INTO CONSERVATION
Blue Latitudes makes the best of a big contraption .
BY BRITTANY HOOK
ON THE SURFACE , the 27 offshore oil and gas rigs that run along the California coast are a pointed reminder of our dependence on fossil fuels . Yet beneath the surface , these platforms are home to some of the most dynamic ecosystems in the world , harboring everything from mussels and scallops to garibaldi and rockfish . As many of these enormous rigs approach the end of their production lives , scientists , environmental agencies , and oil companies are left with the question : should the rigs stay or should they go ?
Emily Callahan , MAS ’ 14 , and Amber Jackson , MAS ’ 14 , two alumnae of Scripps Institution of Oceanography , have made it their mission to determine the best possible afterlife for these structures . Together , they aim to turn the West Coast on to the innovative Rigs-to-Reefs program , an effort that has already turned more than 500 decommissioned oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico into artificial reefs that provide abundant fishing opportunities , world-class diving and recreational activities , and ecological hotbeds of underwater activity .
Yet the issue of how to handle decommissioned platforms is as complex as it is charged — a challenge Callahan and Jackson have been working on for years . “ We really made it our mission in grad school and we ’ re still working on it — to combine science with powerful imagery and a meaningful message to change the tide of public perception around this program ,” says Jackson , a dedicated oceanographer with a passion for science communication .
Sponges and other marine life cover the underwater portion of an offshore rig in California .
Photo : Joe Platko
52 TRITON | FALL WINTER 2016 2017