The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) reports that its research icebreaker Nuyina accidentally made bottom contact while conducting a survey of the Southern Ocean off Heard Island in Antarctica on Monday, October 13.
The 160-metre vessel is currently deployed in Antarctica as part of an expedition to Heard Island and McDonald Island, an Australian external territory comprising World Heritage-listed remote islands in the Southern Ocean.
The AAD said Nuyina was mapping the seabed off Heard when her hull scraped the ocean floor on Monday. This resulted in some minor vibrations, though the AAD has assured that no one on board suffered injuries.
Serco, operator of Nuyina, said that initial assessments revealed the damage to be only superficial and that it was safe for the vessel to continue operating in support of her present expedition.
Serco added that the vessel will undergo internal inspections while consultations are conducted with experts and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.