In the immediate vicinity of the Santa Margarita, including the footprint of the ship itself, live coral coverage was estimated at 2%, as part of a pre-project survey contracted by IOTA to the Marine Laboratory at the University of Guam. Within a few hundred feet of the Santa Margarita, however, coral cover is greater. Factors such as intermittent fresh water (the volume of which is variable), frequent violent storm episodes, toxic cargo such as copper, which was on board the Santa Margarita, and the "usual suspects" such as increasing water temperature, may also play a role.

It is IOTA’s working hypothesis that within three years of the completion of the Santa Margarita project, the salvage site will enjoy both a greater number and a greater diversity of marine life than it did before the salvage began. Even while the salvage is in progress, the site has attracted many new residents, including coral colonies settling on the new reef structure built up on a barren sandy bottom from the overburden displaced as the Santa Margarita is excavated.

Page 1

Page 3

Page 4