Survey Vessel Successfully Refloated After Grounding Near Elba Island

The Netherlands-based surveying firm Fugro successfully refloated its geophysical survey vessel, Fugro Mercator, which ran aground off the north coast of the Italian island of Elba. The incident occurred on March 22, with harsh weather conditions reported in the area at the time. The vessel has been safely towed back to port and is currently undergoing inspection at a shipyard. Fortunately, no injuries or environmental harm were caused by the grounding, and a full review is underway to determine the cause of the incident.

The Fugro Mercator was conducting survey work for the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) as part of the Italian government’s Marine Ecosystem Restoration (MER) Project. This initiative, under the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan, aims to restore marine habitats, update the national system for observing marine and coastal ecosystems, and map marine habitats across Italian waters. The two-year project began in January, with Fugro collaborating with Italian partners Poliservizi Srl and Prisma, and includes the installation of seabed tsunami early-warning stations in the Sardinian Channel and the South Ionian Sea.

Following the grounding incident, Fugro is working with the Italian government to ensure the survey work continues without interruption. To minimize the overall impact of the incident, Fugro has committed to dispatching another survey vessel, Fugro Helmert, to pick up the Mercator’s project in the Mediterranean. This proactive response demonstrates Fugro’s dedication to completing the survey work and supporting the Italian government’s marine habitat restoration efforts effectively.

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