Efforts to free the grounded vessel to prevent an oil spill caused injuries over
extensive areas of the reef near Barbers Point (Kalaeloa). Steel tow cables
strung between the vessel and tugboats scraped across wide swaths of the reef
habitat, removing and killing reef algae, corals, and other marine biota. The
ship’s hull crushed and flattened coral reef habitat as it shifted during the
rescue. Anchors and anchor lines from the M/V Cape Flattery and response
vessels also destroyed strips of reef habitat. When salvors offloaded a portion
of the ship’s cargo of bulk dry cement powder in order to lighten the vessel,
the offloading process incidentally spilled part of the cement powder into the
water, which caused further harm to reef habitats and biota.
Diver biologists began underwater surveys a few days after the ship was removed
from the reef and found large areas of broken corals, fractured reef structure,
and denuded reef surface. Populations of algae, fish, sea urchins, and other
reef animals were reduced or eliminated. The surveys documented patches of
injured reef habitat and lost biota distributed over an area of approximately
20 acres. The Trustees drafted an injury preassessment report that has been
furnished to the Responsible Parties.
The Responsible Parties and Trustees have finished two phases of emergency
restoration where they reattached approximately 2,800 corals and coral
fragments to the reef. In addition, they removed or re-cemented an estimated 45
tons of dislodged coral rock to prevent this material from being moved by wave
action and crushing or burying surviving reef biota. The Trustees and
Responsible Parties are now in the process of developing a list of candidate
restoration projects to return the grounding site to baseline conditions and to
compensate for the interim losses of natural resources.