Port bow of the hypothetical ship, M/V Portsmith Trader |
Safe Sanctuaries 2005 will exercise NOAA emergency response capabilities on April 20-21 at the Monroe County Emergency Operations Center and in the field at Elbow Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
This is a Drill
At 11:00 pm on April 18th, the M/V Portsmith Trader grounded on the Elbow, near the eastern boundary of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, in the Elbow Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area. The M/V Portsmith Trader has 1427 shipping containers, 1,200,000 gallons of fuel oil, and 75,000 gallons of diesel oil on board. While this is a hypothetical ship and accident, the potential for this situation is real. Incidents such as these draw on Federal, State, and private sector capabilities. In the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would have a major role in the response efforts.
This field exercise will highlight capabilities from across NOAA working in concert with State and U.S. Coast Guard counterparts. Over 100 NOAA scientists will deploy on scene to forecast pollution fate, evaluate response alternatives, and document and assess natural resource injuries. Specific field work will include: incident meteorologists making weather observations; aircraft taking digital photography of the spill site where drift cards simulate the oil; a real-time ocean and weather observation buoy offshore to measure currents; and boats conducting rapid bathymetry surveys at the grounding site.
Starboard side of the hypothetical ship, M/V Portsmith Trader |
Information on This Website
Images Selected photos from this event.
Reports and Documents Selected reports and documents prepared for this response drill.
More Information at NOAA Websites
Safe Sanctuaries 2005 Drift Card Release A drift card study conducted as part of the Safe Sanctuaries 2005 pollution response drill in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The release of drift cards, designed to simulate the release of oil, helps NOAA scientists model the trajectory of floating pollutants.
OR&R's Hawaii Drift Card Study An exploratory study that NOAA OR&R scientists recently conducted to learn more about the direction of ocean currents off Oahu, Hawaii.
Office of Response & Restoration (OR&R) General information about oil spill response and restoration. Offers tools and information for emergency responders and other interested people.
Damage Assessment and Restoration Program (DARP) DARP is responsible for assessing and restoring coastal and marine resources injured by oil spills, hazardous substance releases, and vessel groundings.
Elbow Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA) A Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary page providing a brief description of the Elbow Reef SPA and a summary of its protection.
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Describes Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary resources and their protection, as well as current education and information projects and programs offered by the sanctuary.
National Marine Sanctuary Program Information about our nation's marine sanctuaries--their history and current management, their scientific and educational programs, and their continuing efforts to conserve our ocean and coastal resources. |
