In 1997, the hull of the Contship Houston tore through approximately 400 meters of the Florida reef, crushing and breaking corals along the way. As part of a federal program to preserve marine ecosystems in national marine sanctuaries, the parties that injure resources there are responsible for restoring and repairing the damage they do. In the case of the Houston grounding, the vessel owner and insurer assisted with assessment and emergency restoration of the injured coral reef habitat. Shortly after the grounding, a team of federal, state and private partners helped reattach more than 3,000 injured pieces of coral to the reef substrate, and remove or stabilize pieces of reef debris with epoxy to prevent ongoing injury to the reef and marine life. In addition, the vessel owners paid for and deployed flexible concrete mats to stabilize more than 7,650 square feet of reef substrate and also placed large boulders to provide three dimensional habitat for resident organisms.
Officials hope the navigational equipment deters similar accidents.
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is one of 12 national marine sanctuaries administered by NOAA, which operates under the U.S. Department of Commerce. Together the 12 marine sanctuaries protect more than 18,000 square miles of important marine habitats, including coral reefs, kelp forests, intertidal, sandy beach and open ocean.