by Rebekah Roth, GHS Blue Ink
Few places are left on Earth that have been untouched by industries and development from humans, yet another ecosystem may become lost to such practices. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), a 19.6 million acre land area in northeastern Alaska that is home to countless arctic species and has had federal protection since 1960, has been auctioned off to oil companies for drilling by President Trump this last Wednesday.
Endangered species such as the polar bear inhabit the ANWR, and this could potentially put their vulnerable populations in irreparable harm. This habitat is home to 200 migratory birds, 42 species of fish, 37 land mammals, and 8 marine mammals. Many of these animals can only be found in the Arctic. In addition, the native Gwitch'in tribe lives in the ANWR, and relies on the species there for their culture and survival.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has a coastal plain of roughly 1.6 million acres. This habitat is imperative for waterfowl, migrating caribou, and most importantly polar bears, as a third of the entire population’s maternal dens reside in this plain. Despite these factors, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management has offered the right to drill oil on the majority of the coastal plain.
The last seismic surveys were conducted on the coastal plain in the 1980s, and showed that there may be up to 7.7 billion barrels of oil to recover, which is why President Trump pushed to drill oil in this region. He has previously encouraged expansion of the oil and gas drilling industries around the country.
However, the climate in the ANWR is tentative, and an oil spill is extremely likely. No major oil spill has ever been properly cleaned up, and this could have a negative impact on the species that thrive in this environment.
“An oil spill could cause a huge problem. In the Arctic life is already tough enough, so if they had an oil spill or even if some species is disrupted with the way they work or where they live, that can cause big problems. Even though it seems like one small species is being affected, that can affect the whole ecosystem, especially an ecosystem as fragile as the Arctic biome,” stated high school science teacher Jacob Heumiller.
Heumiller also described in detail the importance of a keystone species. He explained that keystone species have a huge effect on their ecosystem and sometimes help keep populations in balance. The polar bear, an endangered mammal that can live in the ANWR, is a keystone species. If an oil spill or other disruption occurs due to oil drilling, these polar bears could be put in severe danger, which then affects all the surrounding populations of animals as well.
Despite many protests and petitions against the refuge being claimed by oil companies, the Trump administration had urged the land to be auctioned to oil drillers. Currently, only 3 bidders have jumped on the lease sale. This consisted of two small oil companies as well as Alaska’s state-owned economic development corporation.
Even with a small amount of companies right now, damage will likely be done to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and will put countless animals at risk. The future for this ecosystem could be unpromising if the oil industries develop further.
