Seismic testing critical to Western Australia's offshore oil, gas and energy industries is dazing, and potentially killing, the state's valuable western rock lobsters, a new study has found.They found a likely 30 per cent initial mortality rate, and modified lobster behaviourThe practice is essential to offshore oil and gas exploration and the construction of wind turbines, and involves firing powerful air guns, creating soundwaves that penetrate the ocean floor.
"For the short term, we grabbed each lobster and we put it upside down in a water tank and we timed how long it took the lobster to stand back up again on all of its legs," Dr de Lestang said. While he could not be certain the lobsters had died, Dr de Lestang said it was the most likely scenario.