DATELINE: 23 December 2002

ALMOST $1MILLION SETTLEMENT FOR FLORIDA CORAL DAMAGE

A dredging company in the US has agreed to pay almost $1million in damages after causing extensive damage to coral by running aground in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Divers carried out a survey of the wrecked area after the incident in May 1993. Nearly two acres of coral and seagrass were damaged when the tug Captain Joe ran aground while escorting a 500 foot section of pipe around the tip of Florida.
The award is the largest settlement ever reached to assist the repair of a marine sanctuary by government agencies. The damage is estimated to take 70 years to recover with the help of human intervention and over 100 years if left without assistance. Divers assisted the recovery by righting overturned coral heads and removing disturbed sediment.
The area is popular for recreational diving, fishing and boating.