The USS Guardian¹ struck the reef in the Sulu Sea south-east of Palawan island after completing a port call at the former US naval² base of Subic Bay. 

 

The reef is in the Tubbataha National Marine³ Park, designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco. 

 

The crew were "currently working to determine the best method of safely extracting the ship", the US Navy said. 

 

The cause of the grounding was under investigation⁴, it said in a statement dated Thursday. No-one was hurt in the incident. 

 

Philippine coast guards were being sent to check for damage to the reef, local media said. Park rangers⁵ had earlier been prevented from inspecting the ship, local media said.

 

According to Unesco, the area the ship is grounded is a "unique example of an atoll reef（环礁） with a very high density⁶ of marine species". Part of it serves as a nesting site for birds and marine turtles, it says. 

 

Environmental group Greenpeace was fined almost $7,000 in November 2005 for damaging a coral reef in the park after its flagship Rainbow Warrior⁷ II ran aground. 

 

Greenpeace paid the fine but blamed the accident on outdated⁸ maps provided by the Philippine government.

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