impact an oil spill would have on marine mammals in the area. They 

 would probably move out of the immediate area of the spill; however, 

 little is known about the effects of oil on their physiology. 



Sea Turtles 



Three endangered species of turtles could be affected by oil 

 development: the Atlantic ridley, the leatherback and green turtle. 16 

 The Atlantic ridley has been observed in Buzzards Bay and the Vineyard 

 Sound, while the green turtle is found in Nantucket Sound. The leather- 

 back turtle is found in the Gulf of Maine. Very little is known about 

 the effects of oil on turtles. 



3.2 Coastal Ecosystems and Shoreland Habitats 



New England's coast is characterized by coastal embayments, barrier 

 beaches, rocky shores and salt marshes, all of which could be affected 

 by OCS development. The coastal ecosystems of Massachusetts and Rhode 

 Island would be especially vulnerable to oil spills, since the proposed 

 pipeline corridor and tanker route for sale #42 parallels the south- 

 eastern coast of New England. Also, various OCS-related facilities are 

 expected to be situated in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastal 

 zones, and their construction and processing activities could damage 

 coastal ecosystems. Figure 4 indicates the location of major coastal 

 systems in southeastern New England. 



The environmental impacts associated with OCS-related facilities 

 will primarily result from site preparation, site construction and 

 the operations of the facilities. The physical siting of a major 

 facility in a natural area will destroy the existing vegetation and 



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