Retired oil rigs off the California coast could find new lives as artificial reefs

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

I'm in favor of the Rigs to Reefs program.  When I have worked on offshore oil platforms, it is amazing how much the subsea rig jackets are a magnet for sea life.  Barnacles attach themselves to the underwater support structures, which attract other organisms, which attract larger fish.

Seems smarter to me to simply leave the unintended biodiversity growth in situ, rather than ripping it up and chasing away the sea life.

Retired oil rigs off the California coast could find new lives as artificial reefs

... We are a former research scientist for the U.S. Department of the Interior and a scholar focusing on the fishes of the Pacific coast. In a recent study, we reviewed the history of rigs-to-reefs conversions and decades of published scientific research monitoring the effects of these projects. Based on this record, we conclude that reefing the habitat under decommissioned oil and gas platforms is a viable option for California. It also could serve as a model for decommissioning some of the 7,500 other offshore platforms operating around the world.  ...

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

Alot depends on their location. If they could become a hazard to navigation they present a problem.

One way to handle this is to cut the legs at the seabed and topple them in the most appropriate direction. But you would need to ensure that no net trawling would occur in the area.

Rigs to Reefs is a great idea! I wonder if you could cut the legs and float/tow them to a safe location?

This is a problem that real engineers would like to sink their teeth into!