vicinity (and none is expected in the near future) they are 

 not threatened by oil spills from OCS development. 



Whooping cranes exist in Aransas and Calhoun counties 

 in an area designated as "critical" to their survival by the 

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USDI, 1976b: Visual No. 4). 

 However, potential OCS impacts on this are are unknown. 



A number of protected habitats may be affected by OCS 

 activity (Table 3.6). However, no impacts on these areas are 

 expected other than as discussed in this chapter. 



3.8 — ROLE OF OIL RIGS IN SPORT FISHING 



Deep-sea sport fishing in Louisiana increased dramati- 

 cally with the advent of the offshore oil industry. As a 

 result of man's search for oil, numerous platforms were 

 established throughout the Gulf (Chapter 1). These platforms 

 act as artificial reefs, providing protection, food sources, 

 spawning sites, and spatial orientation markers for fishes 

 (USDI, 1976a). Almost immediately after being placed in 

 the water, the legs and templates of the platforms become 

 covered with algae, which can thrive on steel or rubber in 

 water near the surface, forming artificial reefs. Attached 

 algae grow readily on the platform structures in the upper 

 layers of deep Gulf waters; in shallow water, strong currents 

 hinder the establishment of algae. 



Growth of algae is followed by occurrences of organisms 

 that attach themselves to the platform structure. Barnacles, 

 bryozoa, coral, tunicates, hydrozoans, mollusks and worms 

 are found growing on the platform frame. Many of these 



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