Monterey, CA…Monterey Bay Aquarium is unequivocal in our opposition to offshore oil and gas development. Oil spills threaten our coastline, our wildlife, our economy, and our health. “California is no stranger to the destructive impacts of oil spills and offshore oil drilling. The 1969 Santa Barbara Channel disaster was a catalyst for the modern environmental movement, and for California taking leadership to ban new offshore oil production in state waters. This latest spill is regrettably more evidence of how devastating offshore oil production is for California and for our climate. As Californians mobilize to save our remarkable wildlife and habitats from this catastrophe, we also must accelerate our shift away from oil extraction and toward a clean-energy future,” said Executive Director Julie Packard.

In the face of this crisis, we need to redouble our actions to protect ocean wildlife and ecosystems in California and throughout the nation’s coastal regions from the detrimental impacts of offshore oil production.

If you spot wildlife in distress as a result of the spill, please report it to the UC Davis Wildlife Care Network (1-877-UCD-OWCN) immediately. Please do not pick up oiled wildlife.

Learn more about the ocean’s role in climate change and how we can all take action to protect the ocean.

About Monterey Bay Aquarium
With a mission to inspire conservation of the ocean, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is the most admired aquarium in the United States, a leader in science education, and a voice for ocean conservation through comprehensive programs in marine science and public policy. Everything we do works in concert to protect the future of our blue planet. More information at MontereyBayAquarium.org.