the USS Guardian a Minesweeper
grounded on the TUBBATAHA reef, Phillippines (is on the UNESCO list as a world heritage site)
Below is a picture with a article in this morning Tampa Tribune about the incident.
The maps used seemingly were faulty.
I know from my own experience that electonic maps (ECDIS) are often up to 0.5 nautical mile different then paper charts. What wonders a litte,that the US Navy has not better controlled
charts in an area (Phillippines Islands) where they are since over 100 years present.
With that view and information one has to look very carefull to other groundings by merchant vessels in that area, like last year that one bulker which caused damage to a reef and the Master was right away nailed on it. Charts used in the merchant marine are in parts possible more in-accurate then those used by navies. GPS systems are to my knowledge in the navies also more accurate then in the merchant marine.
Rather disturbing facts when one looks at the possible ramifications of a grounding anywhere
in the world.
Hope the quality of the attached picture is good enough, just took it with a flick/flack camera.