Refined oil found in SeaPort Manatee basin — source remains a mystery

The Thursday morning, Aug. 31, after Hurricane Idalia made landfall, a discoloration of water was found at SeaPort Manatee. 

The port notified the U.S. Coast Guard, which was due to inspect the port anyways that day so the port could reopen its shipping lanes following the hurricane. No restrictions were placed on vessel operations, but the St. Petersburg coast guard sector returned the following day with a response team to deploy booms, which are floating barriers used to contain oil spills. 

“We’re looking at the water all the time,” Executive Director Carlos Buqueras says of the discovery. It was determined the discoloration was caused by refined oil in the water. Buqueras says the oil was in a corner of the port’s basin, “which is probably the best place to have it because it can be contained much more easily.”