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The U.S. Coast Guard has spotted a sheen of marine fuel near to where the USS Port Royal [pictured] ran aground last week, but says it will not endanger the coastline or marine life.

Pollution investigators aboard a helicopter found the sheen of marine diesel, which was approximately one mile long and 100 yards wide, at daybreak on Monday.

The Coast Guard estimates that between seven and eight gallons of marine diesel caused the spill, but it is not clear if the leak originated from the Port Royal or one of the nine vessels working to free the guided missile cruiser since it ran aground off Hawaii last week.

The grounding took place at approximately 8:30 pm on Thursday, during the transfer of some of those who had been aboard the ship to a small boat.

Attempts to free the boat over the past few days had been unsuccessful until yesterday morning. The damaged vessel has now been towed back to Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard engineers and Navy divers will conduct an initial damage assessment. The state is said to be working together with the Navy on a joint investigation of the damage caused by the grounding.

"The area where the ship was grounded is principally sand and rock -- as I said we will coordinate with the state -- we will conduct an underwater survey of the area to further identify exactly what the bottom type was like," said Rear Admiral Walsh.

A crew aboard the oil spill recovery vessel Clean Islands will remain on scene of the incident until the sheen burns away.

Speaking yesterday, Kathleen Moore, the U.S. Coast Guard Alternate Captain of the Port and a senior officer responsible for oil spill response in the main Hawaiian Islands, said "We are confident the small sheen will burn away this morning."