Stunning Photos Of Recently Discovered Amazon Reef Emerge As Drilling Threat Looms. Citing the constant risk of an oil spill as one possible environmental repercussion if drilling happens there, Greenpeace has started a campaign to protect the reef… But the Amazon Reef is thriving there, one reason why it is so unique! Last year, amid strong public pressure, Brazil’s environmental agency denied the oil company Total the environmental license needed to start drilling in the Foz do Amazonas Basin, citing concerns about the irreversible impacts of an oil spill. Oil companies obtained rights to the area before the giant reef was discovered. Campaigners have warned that oil drilling near the area poses a major threat to the reef. Total and BP’s drilling blocks are shown in red and dark blue. But the oil companies are determined to press ahead despite the risks, writes Lawrence Carter, and … If oil firms are granted permission to drill in the area, it would leave the reef vulnerable to an oil spill. A French oil firm on Thursday rejected concerns that exploration off Brazil could damage a unique coral reef at the mouth of the Amazon river as it awaits final approval to start drilling. Oil companies planning to drill near a vast coral reef at the mouth of the Amazon river have calculated that the unique ecosystem has a 30% chance of being affected in the event of an oil spill. Brazil's new oil frontier threatens Amazon reef. By Mary Papenfuss. Brazil has rejected an application from the French oil giant Total and its collaborator BP to drill for oil near a pristine deep-water coral reef 120 kilometres from the mouth of the Amazon river. A company spokesperson told Unearthed it notified Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum (ANP) on 16 February of its decision to exit the Foz do Amazonas region and “return concession areas FZA-M-324 and FZA-M-257”.. Oil and gas extraction in the Amazon Oil exploration site near Yasuni National Park. THE AMAZON TOWN, A CORAL REEF, BIG OIL, AND A CATASTROPHE WAITING TO HAPPEN... View (active tab) What links here; Submitted by yathed on Wed, 12/27/2017 - 14:00 A river reaches the Atlantic near Oiapoque, in northern Brazil. See more about. Al Jazeera English. In this unstable time of global coral reef decline caused by climate change and ocean acidification, we can't afford toxic contaminants, like lead and cadmium , to harm the Amazon reef's ecosystem. 2:11. Discover the best Oil & Energy Industry in Best Sellers. Oil exploration in the Amazon rainforest is already a big problem. Report. The first startling photos of a recently discovered Amazon coral reef have been released, showing what scientists say may be a unique marine biome. One of Total’s oil blocks is only eight kilometers from the reef, and environmental licensing processes are already under way,” said Thiago Almeida, campaigner at Greenpeace Brazil. Calcoene, Brazil Photography by Ricardo Moraes. But the unique reef is already at risk of survival because of oil drilling companies. The reef is almost 1,000 km (620 miles) long, and is located where the Amazon River meets the Atlantic Ocean. 2:40. Pristine marine reef off French Guiana could be damaged by oil drilling in Brazilian waters. Image of the Amazon Reef taken from a submarine launched … Ecuador-----1 Wunder, S. 1997. We have known for years that the days of finding easy oil outside the Middle East are over. Total and BP want to drill for oil nearby, putting this unique habitat -- home to dolphins, giant otters and manatees -- at risk from an oil spill. What makes the Amazon reef special? Bucolic peace is threatened by BP’s and Total’s plans to start drilling a hundred miles or so out to sea. “We must defend the reef and the entire region at the mouth of the Amazon River basin from the corporate greed that puts profits ahead of the environment. C – Rodrigo Moura: Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. 2:35. The discovery of an extensive coral reef at the mouth of the Amazon … Total's plans for Brazil's new oil frontier snagged on Amazon reef. And of course, all the safety precautions in the world don’t change the basic facts of climate change. Find the top 100 most popular items in Amazon Books Best Sellers. Turkey begins drilling in search of oil, gas in Mediterranean. Environmental campaigners Greenpeace said Tuesday that a massive coral reef has been found to extend right into where France's oil company Total plans to drill near the mouth of the Amazon. 8 Min Read. “The more we research about the Amazon Reef, the more we find. BHP Billiton is abandoning plans to drill for oil near a huge coral reef in the mouth of the Amazon river. Rhodoliths are calcareous algae that work as a habitat for fish and other reef creatures. Pristine marine reef off French Guiana could be damaged by oil drilling in Brazilian waters. Brazil’s environmental regulatory agency, Ibama, announced last Friday that it was denying French oil company Total license to drill for oil near the Amazon Reef. Amazon mining threat: Illegal work in French Guiana forest . Even though the reef may represent a unique marine biome, oil giants Total and BP have initiated plans for exploratory drilling in the area. Reporting by Marta Nogueira. Amazon Reef: Total relies on Bolsonaro to relaunch its drilling projects off Brazil Posted on September 4, 2020 In all discretion, and despite a worldwide mobilization against this project , the Total oil company is relaunching the process of acquiring environmental licenses to drill near the Amazon Reef, a unique and vulnerable ecosystem, still little known (1). Planned oil drilling near the Amazon Reef. Playing next. The Amazon reef is almost six times bigger than originally thought, and extends into an oil drilling concession . French Guiana’s Amazon Reef threatened by Brazilian oil drilling. The Amazon reef system is less diverse than many tropical coral reefs, but still provides a nursery for lobster, red snapper, and other fish, including bottom-feeding skates and rays. The reef is almost 1,000 km (620 miles) long, and is located where the Amazon River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Browse more videos. Big Oil Faces Legal Challenge Over Amazon Reef Drilling May 16, 2017 By Andy Rowell Blog Post, Featured, News. The controversial offshore oil drilling project in the mouth of the Amazon river could pose a significant risk to the mysterious nearby coral reef, according to documents filed by Total and BP.