Groundings

SHIP GROUNDING RESPONSE
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute staff assist the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) General Counsel in litigation against the vessel owner or insurance company. Staff members also assist the federal government in assessments of groundings in joint jurisdictional areas (i.e. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary). In some cases, funds have been made available for restoration from legal settlements.

Some Specific Events Include:

AT&T laid cables over coral hard grounds off Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This area on the east coast of Florida has become a popular location for transoceanic fiber optic cables. This increas the potential for damage to the benthic habitats.

In this aerial photo of R/V Columbus Iselin grounding site at Looe Key, Florida, the light colored swath is the scar of crushed coral.

Large and small vessels cause anchor damage. This photo is of the R/V Columbus Iselin anchor. Note the limestone gravel that was once living reef.

This ship, the Mavro Vetranic, is grounded on Pulaski Shoal in the Dry Tortugas, Florida. You can see the crushed coral. Scratches through the hull paint indicate where the ship impacted hard corals.

So what exactly does FMRI have to do with grounding events?

When a major grounding occurs, a thorough assessment of the impacted area is pursued. Assessments are coordinated with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) staff, the legal staff at FDEP, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Expert testimony is provided in legal proceedings as required.

Task 1: Within 24 hours, confirm jurisdictional responsibilities.

Product: Responsible parties are determined through confirmation of state, federal, or joint jurisdiction.

Task 2: Within one month, weather dependent, plan and conduct an assessment survey of the grounding site.

Product: Database containing exact geographical coordinates; a description of habitat impact; measurements of the damaged area; assessments of the types of impacts and numbers of bottom-dwelling organisms dislodged, crushed, or removed from the damaged habitat, and valuation of injured resources.

Task 3: Within three months of Task 2, summarize data, compile the information, and review comparable events.

Product: A survey report detailing all pertinent data for the grounding site is provided to the Department of Environmental Protection legal counsel (if state jurisdiction) and to federal counsel (if joint state and federal jurisdiction).

Task 4: Time is dependent on case, award, and restoration timelines. As necessary, provide reports, court testimony, and background scientific information on biology and ecology of affected resources.

Product: The products include reports to assist legal counsel in litigation and reliable, experienced, scientific expert-witness service.
Task 5: As needed, conduct and manage restoration, or cooperate with other governmental agencies in conducting and managing the restoration.

Product: The products include recommendations to aid managers in use of resulting funds to stabilize and restore damaged reef habitats, expert assistance in overview of proposed restoration projects, and coordinated efforts to reestablish portions of the habitat complexity and species composition at the damage site.

Part of a 1997 settlement paid for installation of RACON buoys throughout the Florida Keys. These radar-emitting transmitters create an image on ship’s radar up to 20 nautical miles away, warning of the shallow waters and fragile reefs.

Reef "Restoration"

One of the main elements of reef restoration is attaching coral to the substrate. This can be done with either cement or Liquid RockTM epoxy. The higher cost of epoxy is offset by the speed at which coral can be attached.

• The following is a basic operating cost for a four-hour operational day: boat, $600; four divers, $800; expenses, $200; total cost, $1600.
• Using epoxy, a team of two divers can set about 15 corals each hour* for a total of 120 corals per day. Including the $600 cost of the epoxy, each coral can be attached for $18.
• Using cement, four divers require 10 days** to attach 120 corals. Including the cost of cement, each coral can be attached for $135.

Restoration Before
An experimental restoration quadrant at the Mavro grounding site. These corals have been cemented onto the bottom. The image below is from 1989 when the grounding and restoration effort took place. All visible soft and hard corals were transplanted into this one-meter quadrant.

Restoration After
Below is the same restoration site, ten years later in August 1999. The quadrant in the lower left corner below appears in the upper image (red). In both images you can see the stainless steel stakes (circled) used to mark the border of the study area. Of the soft and hard corals transplanted, about 25 percent remain ten years later. Storm wave disturbance and the corrosiveness of the cement and account for some of the observed mortality.