Early in my career, a salvage operation forced a tough call on marine life

We were clearing an old wreck, and the plan involved blasting a section to speed things up. Back then, it was common to overlook small impacts on the surrounding sea floor. I noticed a bed of young coral nearby that would likely be damaged. The boss said to proceed, arguing the job came first. I voiced my concern, and we ended up adjusting the blast pattern, which delayed us. That moment made me think about our role in the ocean beyond just getting paid. Nowadays, there's more focus on protection, but I still remember that uneasy feeling.

2 comments

2 Comments

alicep3213h ago

Collateral damage? Honestly, calling a whole crab habitat that makes me so mad. That's just a cop-out so nobody has to take responsibility. It really connects with what the original post said about the small fights. Ngl, hearing that a foreman actually said that out loud makes me so upset.

amyb5418h ago

Heard about a pier repair that churned up a whole crab habitat. The foreman called it collateral damage to stay on schedule. Sometimes the small fights feel like the only ones that matter.