On November 26, 1997, the M/V Kuroshima, a 370-foot refrigerated cargo vessel owned by Kuroshima Shipping, S.A., broke away from its anchorage in Summer Bay on Unalaska Island, near Dutch Harbor, Alaska. While the vessel was attempting to move to a safer anchorage, winds in excess of 100 knots blew the freighter into Second Priest Rock, damaging several of the vessel's fuel tanks. The vessel subsequently ran aground on the shore of Summer Bay. Approximately 39,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil were spilled, oiling Summer Bay and nearby Humpy and Morris Coves. High winds and surf carried oil upstream into a nearby lake and on to the dunes. Windblown oil also contaminated vegetation and an archaeological site. This paper reviews the overall incident, and briefly summarizes the results of the damage assessment and restoration planning process undertaken for this spill.

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Author notes

1 This article expresses the views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA.