Photo by Dan Levine/EPA
A luxury yacht owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen destroyed most of a protected Cayman Islands coral reef, according to Reuters.The islands' environment department said an anchor chain damaged roughly 14,000 square feet of reef, or about 80 percent of the protected area.Allen's Seattle-based Vulcan Inc., which manages the billionaire's assets, said it was cooperating with an investigation and that the M/V Tatoosh was moored in a "position explicitly directed" by the local port authority at the time of incident."When its crew was alerted by a diver that her anchor chain may have impacted coral in the area, the crew promptly, and on their own accord, relocated their position to ensure the reef was protected," Vulcan said.Related: Cruise Ships Legally Dump Massive Amounts of Shit Into the OceansJust five months ago, Allen, who owns the NFL Seattle Seahawks and NBA Portland Trail Blazers, announced philanthropical support for research to stabilize and restore coral reefs.Allen's 300-foot, five-deck Tatoosh is the 49th largest yacht in the world, and has twin helicopter landing pads, an observation lounge, and a gymnasium. Allen was not on board at the time of the incident, Vulcan said.CNN reported that Allen could face a maximum fine of roughly $600,000, not counting civil damages.According to Reuters, the Cayman News Service reported that the environment department will issue the results of its investigation next week. The service also said that shifting winds may have forced the yacht to drift toward the coral reserve.Follow VICE News on Twitter: @vicenews
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