M/V Suez Matthew, Guayanilla Bay, PR (2009)

The M/V Suez Matthew, a 183-m liquefied natural gas tanker, grounded in Guayanilla Bay off the southern coast of Puerto Rico in 2009. Using the coral nursery that Sea Ventures developed in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the MRU team transplanted 1,600 colonies of staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) to the grounding site. Our team repaired the damaged reef and maintained the coral nurseries. At the time of this restoration project, this was the largest coral outplant ever completed in U.S. waters.