
On Oct. 23, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed a district court’s summary judgment that had found the vessel’s owner, Ernst Jacob GmbH & Co. KG, and its insurer, Shipowners Insurance & Guaranty Company, Ltd. (SIGCo), liable for natural resource damages after the Margara ran aground near Tallaboa, Puerto Rico, in April 2006. While no oil was spilled, efforts to free the tanker resulted in damage to nearly 7,000 square meters of coral reef, as documented in the case record.