According to a Coast Guard news release, a vessel owned by Netherlands-based Forestwave Navigation BV struck Pier 32 shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday. Due to the ongoing investigation, the Galveston Ship Channel has been closed between the Gulf Copper shipyard and the Pelican Island bridge at 51st Street.

In response, Florida voters banned drilling in state waters. During his first term, President Donald Trump used his authority to prevent further drilling in the Southeast, including off Florida’s Gulf Coast, for a decade. However, the impacts of the BP oil spill on wildlife and fishing are still felt across the Panhandle today.

The Regal Princess was delayed from departing Galveston due to an oil spill at the Texas port that occurred Oct. 28. A portion of the Galveston Ship Channel was closed after the spill, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The findings of the research, which also show the material's potential to selectively absorb and solidify oil from water, have been published by IIT Guwahati researchers in the prestigious journal, Chemical Engineering.

The Coast Guard Station–Davao Oriental conducted a maritime patrol in Pujada Bay after spill reports but found no signs of oil. Authorities assured preventive measures are in place to protect the protected area and its marine life,