Liberty Ship Thomas Heyward, Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico | 2020-Oct-22

Initial Notification: On October 21, 2020, NOAA was notified of a spill from the SS Thomas Heyward Liberty Ship, now an artificial reef located southwest of Destin East Pass, FL. In September, sport divers reported oil sheen on the water surface and black "oil - like" substance flowing from the deck of the ship and the Okaloosa county diver conducted an inspection of the artificial reef and collected samples. Now, USCG requested NOAA assistance in identifying whether the ship is related to the Johnson Beach spill, reported after Hurricane Sally made landfall.