Container Ship Loses 32 Containers; south of Aleutian Islands, Alaska

| 2026-Mar-09

Initial Notification: On March 9, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) notified the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) that the container ship OOCL Sunflower lost 32 shipping containers overboard on March 3, while transiting south of the Aleutian Island Chain enroute from Taiwan to the Port of Long Beach, California. The crew is unable to make a final assessment of the damages due to safety concerns, and intends to perform a full evaluation in port upon arrival to the Port of Long Beach on March 12. The crew has not observed any overboard discharge of material, nor damage below the waterline. The vessel is currently located 1,200 nautical miles west of Portland, Oregon, heading southeast. USCG Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach is preparing for the arrival of the vessel. The NOAA scientific support team is currently reviewing the cargo manifest.