In the mid 1990s, a causeway was built connecting Ebeye to the five islands north of it. Material for the causeway was dredged from various spots along the reef. This altered current patterns as filled-in channels between islands cut the flow of water into the lagoon.
A couple of cranes that were being used to dig sand from the reef broke down and are slowly rusting away. On small islands with very little land area, where do you put broken-down equipment? The first shot below was taken south of Ebwaj island in 2003, several years after the causeway was finished.
Here is the crane in December 2011, visibly deteriorating.
Another crane just south of Gugeegue also broke down during causeway dredging. In January 2001, it still had its boom erect.
By December 2011, the boom had collapsed and the crane was rusting away.
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