GREAT BARRIER REEF, AUSTRALIA — The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has found that a cruise ship dumped 27,000 liters of food waste and gray water into the Great Barrier Reef in August.<br /><br />The cruise spilled the polluted water into the reef on August 26, but authorities weren't notified until two days later when the cruise reported the incident themselves.<br /><br />The cruise was detained by Australian authorities once it returned to Sydney. <br />The ship had to pay a fine of US$1.5 million, CNN reported.<br /><br />The cruise says the spill was unintentional and claim they only dumped 7,000 liters instead of the 27,000 liters.<br /><br />However an Australian Senator cited an Australian Maritime Safety Authority report that says otherwise.<br /><br />Discharging waste into the Barrier Reef is a serious offense as the coral reefs in the region are already being damaged due to climate change and environmental damage.
