T/V Margara Vessel Grounding Draft Primary Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment Released for Public Comment
On September 16, 2014, NOAA and The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources working on the restoration of natural resources injured by the T/V Margara vessel grounding released a Draft Primary Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment, opening a 30-day public comment period.
The Draft Primary Restoration Plan proposes a course of action that will restore the coral resources, and other reef biota and habitat that were significantly injured in the grounding. The proposed restoration project involves the placement of limestone and/or large boulders on top of the rubble, followed by active transplantation of approximately 1,500 coral colonies on the substrates. The proposed plan would stabilize the rubble, return topographic complexity to the site, and accelerate the biological recovery of the injured species. After the primary restoration plan is finalized, a compensatory restoration plan will be proposed to outline the restoration needed to compensate for the interim losses to the coral reef ecosystem.
Background
On the morning of April 27, 2006, the 748 foot Cayman Island-flagged tanker Margara ran aground on a shallow coral reef. The reef is located approximately one mile south-southeast of the entrance into Bahia de Tallaboa and approximately 2.5 miles southeast of the entrance into Bahia de Guayanilla. On April 28, 2006 the vessel was removed from the grounding location without discharging the 300,000 barrels of fuel oil. However, the efforts to refloat and remove the vessel caused significant injury to approximately two acres of seafloor inhabited by six species of coral listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. Between 2006 and 2008, emergency restoration actions were taken, including the removal of the vessel, the reattachment of some corals, the stabilization of some large rubble, and the development of a monitoring plan. The emergency restoration activities did not address all potential restoration actions needed at the site. For further information, contact Katie.Wagner@noaa.gov. Go back to OR&R Weekly Report.