Barge that washed ashore could impact already fragile ecosystem <\/p>\n
New documents exclusively obtained by CBS12 show a barge that washed ashore on Singer Island last April damaged a reef. <\/p>\n
Theres trouble under the waters near Singer Island after a barge washed ashore last April. <\/p>\n
Floridas Department of Environmental Protection released images showing abrasions, damage and injured areas on the nearshore reef. <\/p>\n
The damaged area is approximately 5.2 square meters according to an assessment survey prepared for the state. <\/p>\n
Sky Team 12 shot exclusive video of the 144-foot Baymaster grounded after it broke free from a tug boat in rough seas near the Lake Worth inlet on April 20th. <\/p>\n
Ed Tichenor with Palm Beach County Reef Rescue says the damage could impact the already fragile ecosystem. When you lose that, you lose a food source for turtle, he said. Theres a resident population of green sea turtles that depend on this near shore hard bottom as a food source. <\/p>\n
A spokesperson tells CBS12 that DEP is now evaluating the information collected to determine if the grounding violated any laws or regulations. <\/p>\n
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Barge that washed ashore could impact already fragile ecosystem - WPEC<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Barge that washed ashore could impact already fragile ecosystem New documents exclusively obtained by CBS12 show a barge that washed ashore on Singer Island last April damaged a reef. Theres trouble under the waters near Singer Island after a barge washed ashore last April Continue reading