Contact:  Dan Dewell               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                   10/3/97

Repair and restoration of a coral reef damaged by a freighter that ran aground off Mona Island in Puerto Rico are now underway, thanks to a $1,250,000 settlement between a shipping company, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Rama Shipping Company of Thailand agreed to pay $1,250,000 to the Commonwealth and NOAA for natural resource damages caused by the July 24 grounding of the M/V Fortuna Reefer. The government agencies, acting as trustees for the injured natural resources, will use the settlement funds for restoration projects and damage assessment costs.

The settlement, reached on Sept. 11, provides $650,000 for emergency restoration of broken corals that is being conducted under NOAA leadership, and $400,000 for compensatory restoration under the leadership of the Commonwealth, plus reimbursement of trustee costs. Emergency restoration of some 400 pieces of elkhorn coral was initiated on Sept. 20, 1997 by NOAA's Damage Assessment and Restoration Program in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Quick settlement between the natural resource trustees and the responsible party makes it possible to reattach the still living pieces of elkhorn coral broken off of the reef.

"The prompt recovery of restoration funds for this damage demonstrates the tremendous benefits that accrue to the nation's natural resources when responsible parties and trustees cooperate to quickly restore injuries," said Terry Garcia, Commerce acting assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere.

"The Department's main goal is the conservation and restoration of natural resources and to that end, the state and federal trustees managed this case on a fast track basis," said Daniel Pagan Rosa, secretary for the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. "We are pleased with the outcome and are eager to commence the restoration work and the project with the funds secured through the settlement for compensatory damages," he said.

Experts plan to remove the largest broken pieces of branching elkhorn coral from the sea floor and reattach them before they succumb to winter storm damage. Emergency restoration will reverse the major impacts of the grounding by reestablishing the physical structure of the coral reef community and reducing coral mortality.

The 326-foot Fortuna Reefer grounded near a Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Natural Reserve off the west coast of Mona island. The vessel injured a barrier reef that extends approximately 10 miles from the eastern end of the island along the southern coast and around to the northwest. The reef is populated with large, branching "old growth" elkhorn corals (Acropora palmata), which were injured by the grounding.

The remoteness of the grounding site hampered salvage efforts and the vessel remained aground for eight days. Most of the 100,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil and 33,000 gallons of marine diesel fuel aboard the Fortuna Reefer were removed before extracting the vessel from the reef. While no significant amount of oil was released, the grounding and subsequent salvage activities caused a swath of physical damage to the reef surface, measuring approximately 900 feet in length by 50 to 100 feet wide.