Ms. Paxton said that noise levels at the reef, which are normally reserved to a few crackling sounds attributed to certain shrimp species and other marine life, were “between a rock band and an airplane” during the surveys.

The results were cataclysmic for this vital fish habitat that, like most reefs, is a place where fish feed, escape predators and use as a nursery. The number of fish at the reef dropped 78% while the seismic testing was in process.

The study was not able to say where the fish went or if they came back after the seismic testing. But it is clear that seismic testing is destructive to fish and their ability to survive with sustained airgun blasting that would take place in the Atlantic if the exploration is ever approved.

This would mean dramatic reductions of catches for commercial fishing. Not only would this bring economic hardship to this industry but also higher prices for the consumers.  All this to benefit the few owners of seismic testing vessels and Big Oil that might want to destroy our vibrant Atlantic Coast economies with offshore drilling.