Overlap of offshore fossil fuel extraction with important marine biodiversity at a global scale

Human global demand for energy has pushed the energy industry to intensify its offshore activities, especially oil and gas extraction. The expansion of these activities in the ocean poses potential threats to biodiversity,... [ view full abstract ]

Human global demand for energy has pushed the energy industry to intensify its offshore activities, especially oil and gas extraction. The expansion of these activities in the ocean poses potential threats to biodiversity, such as an increase in noise pollution, chemical contamination from drilling and transportation (e.g. spills and drill cuttings), physical changes to the seafloor (dredging, drilling and pipe laying), and an increased contribution to greenhouse gasses. The aim of this research is to quantify the overlap between marine biodiversity with offshore oil and gas activities. We have compiled a database on offshore oil and gas activities globally, and characterized their spatial and temporal distribution. In a 0.5 X 0.5 degree grid, we quantified the overlap of these activities with the ranges of over 24,000 marine species, with areas of high species richness and endemism, as well as other areas important for marine biodiversity such as MPAs, IBAs and EBSAS. Results indicate that although offshore oil and gas platforms are present in less than 1% of the ocean area, they overlap with at least 90% of the species in our dataset in part of their range. Furthermore, 40% and 30% of the areas where oil and gas activities occur are within the top 10% of areas with higher species richness and range restricted species, respectively, in Exclusive Economic Zones. We consider this analysis to be an important first step for prioritizing actions that allow avoiding or mitigating potential negative impacts from offshore fossil fuel extraction on biodiversity.