Bligh Reef, sometimes known as Bligh Island Reef, is a

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...

off the coast of Bligh Island in Prince William Sound,

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

. This was the location of the 1989 ''Exxon Valdez'' oil spill. After the incident, 33 US Code § 2733 mandated the operation of an automated navigation light to prevent future collisions with the reef. Despite these efforts the tug ''Pathfinder'' ran aground on Bligh Reef on Dec 24, 2009, rupturing its tanks and spilling diesel fuel. Bligh Reef is also where Alaska Steamship Company's '' Olympia'' ran aground in 1910. Bligh Reef serves as a fishing ground for halibut and a harvesting area for

shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...

. The nearest town is Tatitlek, which lies to the northeast. The reef was named after William Bligh, of future HMS ''Bounty'' fame, who served as Master aboard ship during

James Cook Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...

's third world voyage.

References

{{Authority control Exxon Valdez oil spill Landforms of Chugach Census Area, Alaska Reefs of Alaska Reefs of the Pacific Ocean