2014 Expedition Granted Finalist: Rig2Reef Exploration | National Geographic

I am Jackson Emily and I are not your
typical diving duo we dive on active oil
rigs off the coast of California to
explore the potential that these words
have to function as artificial reefs
found in a blue ocean setting these
structures offer shelter not only to
passing sea lions and dolphins but also
to many species of California fish and
invertebrates however when the oil wells
dry up and the rig is no longer
economically viable the oil companies
must decommission the structure that
means completely removing it from the
ocean floor and as a result of this
process all of the life that calls the
structure home will perish oil companies
have a long been perceived as the enemy
while these bustling ecosystems exists
quietly below the surface converting
these rigs to reefs provides a silver
lining to the realities of offshore oil
and gas development the fifty thousand
dollars from expedition granted would
help us to travel and scuba dive on
these unique offshore settings around
the world from the harsh and
nutrient-rich Bering Sea to the hot and
isolated west coast of Australia the
funds would also be essential in aiding
us to improve our visual equipment to
help take the public underwater with us
to reveal what lies beneath the surface
of these imposing structures finally the
expedition granted opportunity would
allow us to expand our media campaign to
bring further light to this issue
because is the great National Geographic
explorer-in-residence dr. Sylvia Earle
once said with knowing comes caring and
with caring there is hope for the future
of our oceans