The strong feeling by the general public against the oil industry's offshore operations is basically unjustified. The public has based its opinion on inaccurate reporting and this must be corrected. The offshore oil industry and the industries which derive their livelihood from the sea are actually allies in the common pursuit of the ocean's natural resources. The offshore oil industry strives to be, and is, more than compatible; it is inherently beneficial to most of these opposing interests. Personal observations over the past several years, beneath platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, show that each production platform becomes an individual artificial reef and as such attracts tremendous numbers of marine life. Over 2,800 of these artificial reefs now stand in Louisiana wa ers, placed there by oil companies. These have caused a changing ecology in the Gulf of Mexico that have produced a fantastic accumulation of fish life.

Colored slides and movies taken during scuba dives show that flora and fauna collect on progressively older platforms and that they attract fish life.

End_of_Article - Last_Page 1970------------