United States navy damages Philippines coral reef

This video is called Tubbataha Reef Philippines: Whale Shark, Tiger Shark, Whitetip Shark, Eagle Ray, Turtle!

From Wildlife Extra:

US Navy in deep water after ship hits World Heritage reef in Philippines

USS Guardian runs aground on Tubbataha Reef

January 2013. The Philippines authorities will fine the US Navy heavily after a minesweeper, USS Guardian, ran aground on a reef in a World Heritage site, Tubbatha Reef, which is rated in the top 10 dive sites in the world.

The Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board (TPAMB) has announced that it will fine the US navy for several violations of its rules, including damaging the reef. Their statement reads:

“TPAMB has a mandate to protect, preserve and promote the resources of Tubbataha Reef. In order to fulfill that mandate and uphold the rule of law, it is the TPAMB’s intention to serve the US Navy with a formal notice listing violations of the above law in the grounding incident of January 17 involving the USS Guardian.

We will ask them to take responsibility, and immediately pay the fines that can be estimated at this time.

The violations that are evident at this time, include the following:

Section 19- UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY
Section 21 – NON-PAYMENT OF CONSERVATION FEE
Section 30 – OBSTRUCTION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Section 20 – DAMAGES TO THE REEF
Section 26G – DESTROYING RESOURCES

Subsequent to ship retrieval / and the assessment of Park damage, the TPAMB intends to serve a second formal notice of violation to the US Navy, that will quantify the estimate of destruction and the fines that must be paid.”

From INQUIRER.net in the Philippines:

With around 1,000 square meters of corals already severely damaged by the stranded United States (US) Navy Ship in Tubbataha Reef, authorities are planning to use a crane to lift the ship instead of dragging it so as to avoid further damages.

Researchers discover how new corals species form in the ocean: here.

Scientists Use Antacid To Help Measure The Rate Of Reef Growth: here.

Related articles

• You: U.S. ship stuck in reef off Philippines (edition.cnn.com)
• Philippine senator seeks probe of coral destruction (gulfnews.com)
• USS Guardian still stuck near Tubbataha Reef (photoblog.nbcnews.com)
• US Navy ship stuck in Tubbataha: Why there? (globalnation.inquirer.net)
• US Navy fined for ‘illegal entry’ at Philippines coral reef (sachemspeaks.wordpress.com)
• US Navy faces fines for ship stranded in Tubbataha (rappler.com)
• Cuts on hull of grounded U.S. warship expected soon (edition.cnn.com)
• Grounded warship to be chopped up (cnn.com)
• Big parts coming off U.S. ship on reef (cnn.com)