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.