Lady of the Lagoon
Removal of the derelict fishing vessel 'Lady Carolina' from the Saipan Lagoon
01 / 05
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El Nino Delivers
2015 played host to the strongest El Nino episode in the Western Pacific since the record years of 1997-1998. Micronesia experienced over 30 tropical cyclones, and the chances of typhoons impacting the Northern Marianas were significantly elevated. Super Typhoon Soudelor was the exclamation point on a very active storm season. Marine debris was inevitable...
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Before the Storm
This oblique photo from 2015 was taken just prior to Typhoon Soudelor. The wreck site is situated in the foreground of the image, on a patch reef jutting into the sand flats and ship channel of Saipan's Northern Lagoon
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Resting on the Reef
At 83 ft., the steel-hulled Lady Carolina was a fairly large vessel, but no match for Typhoon Soudelor, which delivered gusts in excess of 160 mph . The Lady broke free from her mooring on August 2nd, 2015, and came to rest on a shallow patch reef in the northern lagoon (visible in the map).
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The Lady as a Landmark
For over five years the Lady Carolina remained grounded, serving as a stark reminder of Typhoon Soudelor's devastating impact. Saipan residents made the most out of the newest addition to the Lagoon, but sense-of-place and reef habitat were at stake, including some of the largest boulder corals in the Lagoon.
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A Team Effort
PCRP teamed up with a dynamic group of NGOs and CNMI Government partners to coordinate the removal. In May of 2021, contractor Smithbridge Guam, Inc. deployed a crane and jackup barge to the wreck site, while Koa Consulting, LLC commenced water quality monitoring, and Johnston Applied Marine Sciences began relocating at-risk corals.
The Lady Carolina was disassembled in-place over a two month period in summer of 2021. As Smithbridge, Inc. cut the vessel into pieces, Deep Blue, LLC hauled the debris to a construction yard for breakdown, processing, and disposal.
The transport vessel approaches the wreck site to haul some of the last pieces of the Lady Carolina to shore for proper disposal.
A substantial amount of material was removed from sensitive reef habitat, leading the way to recovery:
- 87.9 tons of scrap metal
- 864 cubic feet of common waste (wood, plastic, etc.)
- 980 cubic feet of HazMat waste (foam insulation)
- 650 gallons of rainwater mixed with diesel and other residual fuels.
The latter could have easily been released during a storm or other disturbance had it not been removed, contaminating the Lagoon.
Translocated corals in their temporary staging area, mid-removal.
Road to recovery: Johnston Applied Marine Sciences translocated approximately 150 coral colonies to a nearby staging area. Following the vessel removal, these corals were re-planted onto the most heavily damaged areas of the reef.
CNMI Coral restoration efforts offer an opportunity to not only rehabilitate the wreck site, but to enhance the broader patch reef complex around it. Through a collaborative restoration planning process supported by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program and The Nature Conservancy, this particular reef has been selected as a priority restoration site for the Northern Marianas in the coming years.
A big "Thank You" to all of our funding sources and local partners!
Abandoned and derelict vessels are still scattered around the Saipan Lagoon and fringing reefs of the CNMI. The safe removal of the Lady Carolina and her potentially hazardous contents marks a significant milestone in addressing this type of marine debris in the Commonwealth, and will hopefully pave the way for continued progress in restoring our coastal waters. PCRP is proud to have led this collaborative effort!
