Chinese Ship Shen Neng 1's Officers Arrested in Great Barrier Reef Crash

(April 14) -- Australian police have arrested the captain and chief officer of a Chinese coal freighter that ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef earlier this month, tearing a 2-mile-long gash and smearing oil on the world's largest coral reef.

Both men have been charged with causing damage to the reef and are set to appear in court Thursday.

The captain, 47, faces a maximum fine of $51,200. The 44-year-old chief officer, who was allegedly in charge of the Shen Neng 1 when it smashed into the reef on April 3, could get three years in prison and a fine up to $205,000.

Queensland government / AFP / Getty Images

The Chinese coal carrier Shen Neng 1 rammed the Great Barrier Reef in Australia earlier this month, causing an oil leak. Authorities have arrested the ship's captain and chief officer.

Australian authorities accuse the men of ignoring warnings to turn their ship away from the reef, and instead entering a no-go zone around the U.N. World Heritage site, where boat traffic is restricted.

On Tuesday, marine scientists described damage suffered during the crash and its aftermath, when tides and currents dragged the boat across the pristine reef for 10 days while workers pumped out fuel to lighten the vessel and lift it off the damaged coral. Left behind was a scar nearly 2 miles long and 820 feet wide. The vessel also leaked 3 tons of oil.

In some areas, "all marine life has been completely flattened and the structure of the shoal has been pulverized by the weight of the vessel," David Wachenfeld, who works with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, told reporters in Sydney. He said it could take 20 years for marine life to recover.