Divers today are expected to begin collecting coral colonies that survived the Feb. 5 grounding of the USS Port Royal and temporarily store them in a safe area until they can be returned to the damaged reef.

Up to 10 civilian divers have been contracted by the Navy to collect and relocate the coral displaced by the grounding off the Honolulu International Airport's Reef Runway. The Port Royal ran aground Feb. 5 and was freed four days later, but not before the 9,600-ton guided missile cruiser caused "substantial" damage to the reef, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

State officials told the Navy that they intend to file a full claim against the Navy to cover the cost of mitigating further damage to the reef, the value of the coral reef substrate damaged, attempts to free the Port Royal, and other damage to the reef ecosystem. The state and Navy have since developed a four-phase, multimillion-dollar plan to restore the coral reef.

The first two phases have been completed. The first phase involved Navy divers who did emergency work to reattach dozens of coral colonies and move large rocks to deeper water to prevent them from causing more harm.

Phase II began in early March and involved a contractor, hired by the Navy, to survey and assess conditions on the seabed where the 567-foot warship ran aground. The study found about 7,600 square yards of rubble that may have been created when the ship hit the reef.

The third phase is scheduled to begin today and involve the collection of the surviving coral. DLNR said the coral will be stored offshore and will be reattached in the damaged area at a later date.

In Phase IV, the rubble will be scooped off the ocean floor and transferred to a barge. The debris will be brought to shore and "put to further use," the state said.

Rear Adm. Joseph Walsh, deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said the Navy is moving as quickly as possible to prevent further damage to the reef. He said seasonally high surf from the south is expected in mid-May and could pose a risk to divers and workers.

Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairwoman, said she appreciated the Navy's "timely" response to moving the living coral and removing the loose coral rubble.

"The actions we have agreed to are the next step in our continuing response to the impacts of the grounding," Thielen said in a statement. "In particular, the action to remove rubble is critical to prevention of further damage to the reef. The state believes future steps will involve identifying projects that can restore the damaged reef and compensate for the loss of coral reef resources."

The Port Royal's grounding came on the first day of sea trials following $18 million in repairs and refurbishment.

The ship remains in dry dock and the Navy said it may revise its initial damage estimates of $25 million to $40 million.

Capt. John Carroll was temporarily relieved of his command of the Port Royal and reassigned to the Pacific Fleet staff.