The trustees and representatives of the ship owner/operator initiated preassessment activities under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) on 27 November 2004. A work group was formed, consisting of ship owner/operator representatives (Entrix, Inc. and Polaris Applied Sciences, Inc.); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS); Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Protection, Game Commission, and Fish and Boat Commission; New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP); and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). While the work group was a cooperative process, the trustees maintained formal decision-making authority.

Specific preassessment activities included shoreline (aerial and ground) and resource (e.g., bird and wildlife, horseshoe crab) surveys, and ephemeral data collection (e.g., water, sediment, and fish and shellfish tissue samples). The Preassessment Data Report describes these data collection efforts, and provides laboratory results and supporting documentation. Based on data and other information included in the Report, the trustees identified injuries to shoreline habitats, birds, benthic habitat, and recreation use (i.e., boating, fishing, hunting, etc.).

See Preassessment Data Report, Appendices a, b, and c; Appendices d and e; Appendices f and g; Appendices h and i.

Summary of injuries resulting from the Athos incident

Resource Category		Injury	Primary Restoration
Aquatic	Subtidal benthic habitat	412 acres	Natural recovery
Birds and Wildlife	Gulls	2,946 birds (direct and indirect)	Natural recovery
	Diving ducks, diving birds, wading birds, kingfishers	464 birds (direct and indirect)
	Dabbling ducks and shorebirds	2,503 birds (direct and indirect)
	Swans and geese	5,956 birds (direct and indirect)
Shoreline	Seawalls, sand/mud substrate, marsh, coarse substrate	1,729 acres	Natural recovery
	Tributaries	1,899 acres
Recreation	Trips affected (lost and diminished value)	41,709 trips	Natural recovery