The seismic testing "will give naysayers exactly what they say they want by identifying places where we are not going to go, if the science tells us the oil's not there," said David Mica, executive director of the Florida Petroleum Council, an industry group in Tallahassee that lobbies for expanded drilling. "The reality is that by doing this kind of science, we may be reducing our footprint. But we are hoping that it just blows up and shows lots and lots of potential [deposits]."