Reef Under Construction

Emergency restoration efforts are underway in Puerto Rico following the grounding of the 748-foot oil tanker Margara along the south coast of Puerto Rico.

Margara, flagged in the Cayman Islands, ran aground approximately two miles off the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico on April 27. The initial grounding and subsequent vessel removal efforts crushed and buried a significant amount of reef and dislodged thousands of corals along the edges of the impact. No oil was spilled.

Scientists have identified 8,500 square meters of impacted reef. The emergency restoration work at the site is focused on the time-sensitive task of securing the salvaged corals, rebuilding portions of the impacted reef, and removing toxic paint from the site. These efforts began July 24 and are expected to continue for three to six months.

Because of the size of the impact, the quality of the reef and the variety of species present, the Margara incident may be one of the most significant coral groundings ever in the United States.

--LiveScience Staff

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Credit: NOAA