Fort Lauderdale Reefs News

CBS reported that the Coast Guard has been working on a plan to protect Fort Lauderdale reefs from potentially damaging freighters that lose their way and get stuck on those sensitive reefs. In the wake of the latest freighter grounding off the coast of Fort Lauderdale last month, the Coast Guard wants to change the anchorage rules to protect the reefs. Right now, the rules state vessels waiting to enter Port Everglades can drop anchor in two off-shore areas where three delicate reefs run parallel to the coastline. Two ships have run aground on the reefs this year alone, destroying the delicate coral and sea fans. Since 1994, a total of eleven ships have grounded themselves, and damaged more than three acres of sensitive reef and cost ship owners millions to repair.