Alliance partners remove additional abandoned vessels in coastal Alabama

Thirty-two abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) were removed from sites in Bon Secour Bay, South Mobile County, and the Mobile-Tensaw Delta

OCEAN SPRINGS, MS, UNITED STATES, September 4, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Over the winter months, the Gulf of America Alliance, working in partnership with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) and Mississippi State University Coastal and Marine Extension, continued its work to remove vessels in Alabama as part of an ongoing large-scale project across the Gulf Coast. Thirty-two abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) were removed from sites in Bon Secour Bay, South Mobile County, and the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

This is in addition to 10 ADVs removed from Baldwin County and the Perdido River/Bay area in the spring of 2025. The recent removal represents 198,600 pounds of materials removed. In total, nearly 175 tons of debris, including sailboats, cabin cruisers, and barges have been removed from coastal Alabama waters.

“The removal of abandoned vessels benefits our coastal systems in multiple ways, not just as an aesthetic issue, but most importantly as a safety issue. We are proud of the work with our partners to remove these threats to boaters navigating our waterways,” said Laura Bowie, Executive Director, Gulf of America Alliance.

“As Alabama’s representative on the Gulf of America Alliance, I was glad to be a part of the team that worked to acquire funding for the removal of abandoned vessels from our waterways in Coastal Alabama,” said Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “I am grateful for our partnerships with the Alliance and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on this vitally important work. Removing marine debris from our Gulf Coast waters supports healthy aquatic ecosystems and reduces the dangers posed to boaters and anglers by derelict and abandoned vessels.”

“ALEA’s Marine Patrol Division is proud to play a role in this effort by helping locate and identify abandoned and derelict vessels,” said Hal Taylor, Secretary, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. “That work, along with helping ensure removal operations are conducted safely and in accordance with applicable laws, is an important part of this partnership. We appreciate the Gulf of America Alliance, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and all of our partners who are working together to address these hazards. Each vessel removed eliminates a potential navigational hazard and helps us continue our mission of keeping Alabama’s waterways safe for everyone.”

The Alliance coordinated efforts across multiple local and state agencies to complete this work. Contractors MD Thomas Construction, LLC, and Blue Diving & Salvage, LLC, removed and properly disposed of the identified ADVs; ALEA was involved to ensure the contractors complied with federal, regional, and local laws; and Mississippi State University Coastal and Marine Extension acted as the on-site project manager.

This project is supported by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program.

About the Gulf of America Alliance
The Gulf of America Alliance is a regional partnership focused on enhancing the environmental and economic health of the region through increased collaboration. Led by the five Gulf states, our network includes over 165 participating organizations from state and federal agencies, local governments, communities, academia, non-governmental organizations, and industry. Working with these partners, we address priority issues including coastal community resilience; data and monitoring; education; habitat; water resources; wildlife and fisheries; and marine debris. gulfofamericaalliance.org

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David Lee Simmons
Gulf of America Alliance
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