Shipwrecks and Ghost Nets — How a Reef Was Saved in the Remote Pacific
By Dana Bivens — A Public Affairs Officer for the US Fish and Wildlife Service
Pearl and Hermes Atoll is part of the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, located approximately 1,200 miles west of Honolulu. The island is part of the State of Hawai’i, and is contained within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Established in 2006 for the protection of the unique wildlife and marine species that call the area home, this monument is the largest of its kind in the United States, and supports a diverse array of birds, marine mammals, marine turtles, fish, coral, and other tropical species.
Seen from the air, Pearl and Hermes Atoll appears as a small land mass in a vast ocean, with its emergent lands covering only 0.36 square miles. But surrounding these tiny islands lies a vast complex of underwater reefs that have established themselves over centuries in the shallow waters of the atoll platform. These immense reefs cover 450 square miles, or over 194,000 acres, and are home to endangered Hawaiian monk seals, short-tailed albatross, Laysan ducks, Laysan finches, Nihoa millerbirds, threatened sea turtles, over 20 seabird species, multiple species of whales, and hundreds of species of fish that provide food sources for the thousands of sea birds that nest on the islands. Many of these species are found nowhere else in the world.
The shallow platform upon which the reef rests has proven to be a trap for ships over the past two hundred years. The atoll’s English name, in fact, is derived from two British whaling ships, the Pearl and the Hermes, that ran aground on the reefs and were lost in 1822. In 1952, the USS James Swan, a WWII Liberty ship, also hit the reef and sank. The shallow waters around the reef can quickly fall away, plunging thousands of feet in some areas. The change in depth is so dramatic that ships can sail relatively close to the reef and still be in deep water. Captains must navigate cautiously in these waters in order to avoid hitting the ocean floor where it abruptly rises around the emergent lands of the atoll.
On July 2, 2005, another ship met the same fate as the Pearl and the Hermes. The M/V Casitas, a 145 foot research vessel owned and operated by F/V North Wind, Inc., ran aground near the atoll. When the ship hit the reef, it carried 1,850 gallons of gasoline, 30,000 of diesel fuel, and 200 gallons of lubricating oil, which presented a tremendous threat to the reef and ocean ecosystems, should they be released. The crew onboard worked to patch the ship, hoping it could be salvaged, but unfortunately this was not possible.
Once it was determined that the ship could not be saved, the owners and agencies involved looked to plan B. The ship owners worked with with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify an area where the ship could be safely disposed. The idea was to drag the vessel off the reef and to sink it in an area that was less ecologically sensitive. Prior to disposal, representatives from the EPA inspected proposed sites and selected an area where there were no resources of concern. While hard on the reef, crews removed the vessel’s fuel and oil in order to prevent them from leaking into the ocean. On August 4, 2005, M/V Casitas was towed off the reef and allowed to sink in 7,000 feet of water in the EPA-approved emergency disposal site.
So what happens now? A large vessel, containing toxic materials, was lost on a reef and sunk in the Pacific Ocean. What are the next steps to ensure that the reef is restored, or that the damage to the reef has been properly mitigated? Federal agencies like the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) use a legal process called the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) to evaluate the impacts of oil spills and shipwrecks like this, and develop plans to offset the loss of natural resources. The Service, together with other Federal agencies, States, and Tribes, use NRDA to evaluate the impacts of oil spills, hazardous waste sites, and ship groundings on natural resources both along the nation’s coasts and throughout its interior.
When an event occurs, agencies work together to identify the extent of the natural resource injuries, the best methods for restoring them, and the type and amount of restoration required. In addition to studying impacts to the environment, the NRDA process includes assessing and restoring the public’s lost use of injured natural resources. Essentially, through this process, the responsible party provides funding to restore the ecosystem and conduct work to mitigate the damage and therefore protect the value of the resource for the people, plants, and wildlife that depend on the habitat.
Using this damage assessment process, a Natural Resource Trustee Council (trustees), consisting of the Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA), and the Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), reached a $3,800,000 insurance settlement with the owners of the vessel in 2008. The trustees determined that although the damaged reef was too remote to restore directly, removal of marine debris from the the Monument as a whole could help offset the negative effects of the shipwreck, and protect Pearl and Hermes Atoll and nearby reefs from future damage.
Marine debris refers to trash that has ended up in the ocean. Within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, marine debris, particularly derelict fishing gear, is a substantial source of coral damage. The coral reefs are the ecological backbone of the atolls. These delicate living and breathing underwater ecosystems — the marine equivalent of rain forests — provide food, shelter, and essential habitat for thousands of aquatic species. Abandoned fishing nets frequently become lodged on the reefs, smothering or breaking the corals underneath them. They also pose a threat to the many fish and other aquatic species that may become trapped and entangled in the drifting nets. Through the NRDA process, the trustees determined that removing nets and other debris from the coral reefs in this area would help mitigate the damage caused when the M/V Casitas ran aground.
Using the settlement funds, the trustees worked together to implement a series of marine debris surveys and subsequent clean up cruises, with NOAA providing vessel support, and the DLNR contributing staff time. Diving personnel with specialized training conducted in-water surveys and removed 15 metric tons of derelict fishing gear from reefs in 2011. Subsequent cruises over the following years allowed debris removal at other atolls and islands, including Kure Atoll, Lisianski Island, Laysan Island, and French Frigate Shoals. Since 2011, the trustees have conducted four removal missions, including three cruises and one ground based removal project on Midway Atoll with air transport. Collectively, teams removed a total of 138 metric tons of marine debris from the Monument.
Once the debris is collected, the trustees transport the waste to the H-Power facility on the island of O’ahu. This remarkable facility burns the plastic refuse, using the heat generated to power turbines and create electricity for the state of Hawai’i. Non-flammable matter, such as metal, is recycled and made available for other uses at a local steel recycling company. In this way, the marine debris clean up project protects the reefs and their biodiversity, while reducing waste matter and providing energy for American citizens.
These incredible habitat conservation efforts were the result of strategic planning, Monument comanagers and partners working together, and the effective investment of NRDA funds to maximize habitat conservation benefits. While this story is a win for the Monument, the fact remains that marine debris will continue to be a threat to biodiversity until humans work together to reduce waste and to prevent waste from entering our waterways.
Every year an estimated eight billion tons of trash from all over the world is directly disposed of or washes into our oceans. This trash ranges from toothbrushes, plastic bags, and bottle caps, to derelict boats, massive fishing nets, and abandoned machinery. If not disposed of properly, this trash can end up in our streams and rivers, which can transport the debris all the way to our oceans. From there, ocean currents carry trash thousands of miles, to all corners of the globe. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is evidence of this phenomenon.
Once the trash enters waterways and ecosystems, it can become a tremendous hazard to biodiversity. Wildlife ingest the plastic, mistaking the color or texture for fish or vegetation. Dolphins, whales, and sea turtles become entangled in ghost nets and, unable to surface for air, drown amidst the refuse. Nearly every seabird on the planet now eats plastic. Fish are also eating microplastics — tiny beads found in cosmetics, lotions and toothpaste. Toxic chemicals bind to microplastics, and fish swallow these too. When we eat the fish, we also consume some of these microplastics and their associated toxins. Even if you live thousands of miles from the coast, marine debris can affect you. Human waste and its impact on our oceans has become one of the largest and most challenging environmental issues of our time.
The good news is, we can all be part of the solution to the marine debris crisis. Recycling a plastic bottle in the Midwest can help to protect an endangered Hawaiian monk seal in Papahānaumokuākea. From our homes, we have the ability to help protect the amazing landscapes of our planet, and the incredible species with which we share the earth’s resources.
The partnership that made the Pearl and Hermes Atoll marine debris project so successful is a model that benefits conservation. By working together, pooling ideas and resources, and strategically mapping out conservation actions, we can achieve greater success than if we go at it alone. In this season of giving back and reflecting on a challenging year, it is important to remember the successes that we have achieved and to remind ourselves that our planet always needs us. Everyone can make a difference and our collective efforts can provide lasting benefit to biodiversity and to our neighbors and friends. Let’s work together to make our oceans safer for the wildlife we cherish.
More information on Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument:
Papahānaumokuākea is cooperatively managed to ensure ecological integrity and achieve strong, long-term protection and perpetuation of Northwestern Hawaiian Island ecosystems, Native Hawaiian culture, and heritage resources for current and future generations. Four co-trustees — the Department of Commerce, Department of the Interior, State of Hawai‘i and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs — protect this special place. Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument was inscribed as the first mixed (natural and cultural) UNESCO World Heritage Site in the United States in July 2010. For more information, please visit www.papahanaumokuakea.gov.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, connect with us through any of these social media channels at https://www.facebook.com/PacificIslandsFWS, www.flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/, or www.twitter.com/USFWSPacific.
