The controversial oil drilling platform Brent Spar has become home to large quantities of healthy coral, according to a study published today in the journal Nature. The colonies are a long way from forming coral reefs, but the findings indicate that dismantling rigs after they are decommissioned may not be the most environmentally sound solution, concluded the report author, a marine biologist with a company that provides services to the oil industry. Earlier this decade, Greenpeace got into a ferocious battle with Shell, Brent Spar’s owner, over whether the rig ought to be sunk, as the company favored, or dismantled. Yesterday, Greenpeace reasserted its belief that rigs are more of a threat than a benefit to coral reefs and fisheries.
