Experts from Federal and State Agencies, Scientists, and Others Will Join the Aquarium of the Pacific to Discuss the Fate of California’s Offshore Oil Rigs

January 3, 2020

December 19, 2019, Long Beach, CA—On January 12 to 14, 2020, the Aquarium of the Pacific will host a forum to examine the afterlives of decommissioned oil rigs off the coast of California. At the Aquarium’s forum, experts will gather to discuss sustainable options for decommissioned oil rigs in Southern California. Forum participants will include representatives from federal and state agencies responsible for the decommissioning process, industry experts, and academic scientists. The forum will be open to the public, allowing local residents to learn about those platforms, what the decommissioning options are, and how the decisions will be made.

“Oil platforms off California’s coast date back more than sixty years, and their remaining productive lifespans are coming to an end. Over the next couple of decades, they will be decommissioned and decisions must be made as to what to do with them,” Aquarium President and CEO Dr. Jerry Schubel said. “Their fate is of particular importance to ocean ecosystems, because these structures are colonized by barnacles, fish, mussels and other marine life, forming artificial reefs.”

The event will begin on the evening of January 12 at 7:00 p.m. with a reception and a keynote address by three ocean experts. These include Dr. Sylvia Earle, oceanographer, National Geographic Society explorer in residence, and president and founder of ocean conservation organization Mission Blue; Betty Yee, California State Controller and commissioner with the State Lands Commission; and Mark Gold, executive director of the Ocean Protection Council and deputy secretary for Ocean and Coastal Policy for the California Natural Resources Agency. A student poster exhibit will also be on display that evening. The cost to attend the sessions on January 13 and 14 is $125 for the public and $75 for students. Discounted prices of $85 for the public and $50 for students are available for those who register before December 18. To see the full agenda, visit aquariumofpacific.org/events and click on the forum event page.

The forum is co-sponsored by the Aquarium of the Pacific, California’s Ocean Protection Council, California’s State Lands Commission, the California Coastal Commission, and the Honda Marine Science Foundation and is operated in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The public can RSVP by visiting aquariumofpacific.org/events or calling (562) 590-3100. Press can RSVP to Marilyn Padilla by calling (562) 951-1684 or sending an email to mpadilla@lbaop.org.