Navy Hydrographic Service conducts post survey on environmental impact of fire-damaged MV X-PRESS PEARL

RV ‘Samudrika', a research vessel from the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), operated by the Sri Lanka Navy Hydrographic Service (SLNHS) was deployed on 01st June 2021 to collect water and sediment samples from the sea area where the distressed ship MV X-PRESS PEARL was laying. The primary objective of this sample collection was to conduct a post survey on the environmental impact following this ill-fated incident.

Since the Navy took over the operations of the RV ‘Samudrika’, the only national marine research platform, on 28th February 2019, qualified hydrographers of SLNHS and scientists from the NARA conducted a number of research expeditions and surveys over the past couple of years. Undertaking the latest survey by the Navy in collaboration with the NARA, RV ‘Samudrika' embarked on a passage for environmental impact assessment in the vicinity of the causality ship on 01st June.