Tech pioneer Paul Allen is working with the Cayman Islands on the assessment of damage to a coral reef there. A yacht owned by the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist destroyed most of a coral reef in a protected area of the Cayman Islands recently. The 300-foot yacht’s anchor chain dragged against 14,000 square feet of the coral reef, destroying 80 percent of it.
Local officials will assess the damage and release more of their findings next week. In a statement on Wednesday picked up by GeekWire, Allen’s company Vulcan Inc. said reports of the damage were exaggerated.
The fact that Allen’s boat is responsible for damage to a coral reef is ironic. On Wednesday, Vulcan Inc. sent out a Tweet reminding everyone of Allen’s longtime support for science and conservation -- including for coral reefs. Among other things, Allen awarded $10,000 in September to researchers for their work in protecting coral reefs. The yacht is the Tatoosh, the 48th largest yacht in the world, and contains two helipads, a swimming pool, a spa, a private movie theater.
