Comment from Chiappa, Nicole

To Whom it May Concern, After hearing about the proposal from the radio, I felt the need to chime in with my personal expertise as an environmental scientist and marine biologist from Pennsylvania. We have an overwhelming amount of research at our fingertips regarding the affects of mineral mining terrestrial areas, and that evidence is growing for marine areas as well. As we continue to study the ocean, it appears that mining will be detrimental to all ecosystems in the area of interest, in conjunction with the surrounding areas due to the sheer movement of water. Life works differently in the ocean, and we can’t just keep treating it similarly to solid land. If people have any sense, they will understand the circumstances at stake, and take more into consideration than just their gross income. We have thousands of species near the area of interest, not to mention the trophic cascade that will take place by removing certain species from the areas affected. This area has become a tourist attraction bringing in ecotourism up and down the coast, when you start messing around with one area it creates a spillover effect and will hurt the profits generated by having a pristine ocean/coastal environment. I pray we can make decisions beyond the near scope of greed, and find the intrinsic value behind the ecosystems in question. Thank you.