Fed: Ship on way to build picture of damaged reef

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2010
Fed: Ship on way to build picture of damaged reef

BRISBANE, April 14 AAP - Divers, sonar equipment and cameras towed behind a ship will
be used to determine exactly how much damage a coal carrier has done to the Great Barrier
Reef.

The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) is leading the investigation into
the grounding of the Shen Neng 1 on Douglas Shoal, off Rockhampton, on April 3.

The Chinese-registered carrier was refloated on Monday. It is now safely anchored in
waters near Great Keppel Island.

The AIMS research vessel RV Cape Ferguson, carrying a team of marine scientists, is
on its way to the shoal to begin the first comprehensive assessment of the damage.

The team will determine the scale of the physical damage and how much toxic anti-fouling
paint scraped off the hull onto the reef.

Dr Andrew Negri, who is leading the AIMS voyage, said a multi-beam sonar would be used
to map the sea floor and reveal the scope of structural damage to the reef.

"... it will accurately record the damage caused by the ship's hull," he said in a
statement on Wednesday.

Dr Negri said marine scientists would be diving with video cameras to take footage
of the effects on reef organisms such as corals, sponges and algae.

"In the areas that are too deep for divers, we have specialised cameras that can be
towed by the ship," he said.

Scientists would also collect for analysis samples of toxic anti-fouling paint, which
is used to hinder the growth of algae and barnacles on ships' hulls.

"This paint usually contains toxic chemicals, including heavy metals and/or herbicides
and if a ship is grounded, it usually scrapes onto the reef," he said.

Previous ship groundings had contaminated up to one hectare of the reef.

Given the movement of the Shen Neng 1 across the reef after it ran aground, the area
of physical damage and contamination could be much larger, he said.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, James Cook University and the Queensland
Parks and Wildlife Service will be supporting the AIMS team during the investigation.

It's expected to take about four days.

AAP tnf/jnb

KEYWORD: CARRIER AIMS

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