Marine Safety Unit Thousand Islands

Marine Safety Unit (MSU) Thousand Islands is strategically located at Fort Drum Army Post in New York. The unit's Area of Responsibility (AOR) spans from the St. Lawrence River International Bridge in Massena, NY, extending south along the U.S./Canada international border to the longitudinal boundary line at 76°50′W in Port Bay, NY. The AOR also includes Cayuga Lake, Onondaga Lake, Oneida Lake, and portions of the Erie Canal. 

MSU Thousand Islands operates as a subunit of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Eastern Great Lakes. It plays a key role in enforcing the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, as amended by the National Invasive Species Act of 1996. The unit implements vessel ballast water management regulations under 33 CFR Subchapter O. In coordination with both U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, unit personnel conduct ballast water examinations aboard all commercial vessels equipped with ballast tanks entering the Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence Seaway. 

In addition to its invasive species prevention efforts, MSU Thousand Islands is responsible for pollution response and the inspection of eight regulated facilities and two public access facilities. The unit also oversees a fleet of 21 small passenger vessels, five Inspected Towing Vessels (ITVs), and conducts Port State Control examinations. These responsibilities are carried out by the unit’s Marine Inspections Division, which ensures compliance with maritime safety, security, and environmental protection regulations. 

MSU Thousand Islands is staffed with 10 personnel that include Active Duty and Civilian Members. Within the area there is also an active Coast Guard Auxiliary contingency promoting recreational boat safety, offering education services, and conducting vessel exams. 

MSU Thousand Islands missions include: 

Pollution Response:

MSU Thousand Islands personnel conduct pollution response activities within the Coastal Zone of the St. Lawrence River and Eastern Lake Ontario.

Facility Inspections:

Regulated waterfront facilities inspections are conducted to ensure compliance with the Ports and Waterways Safety Act, Marine Transportation Security Act, and Federal Water Pollution Control Act.

Domestic Vessel Inspections:

Conducting inspections on and managing a fleet of domestic commercial vessels within MSU Thousand Islands Area of Responsibility.

Foreign Flagged Vessel Examinations:

Port State Control Examinations are conducted on foreign flagged ships for compliance with SOLAS and MARPOL regulations for vessels calling on the ports of Oswego and Ogdensburg.

Waterways Management:

Processing Permits for Marine Events (CG-4423) and establishment of Limited Access Areas in accordance with 33 CFR 100.

Marine Casualty Investigations:

Investigate marine casualties to determine root cause(s). Marine investigators use the information gathered in that process to make safety recommendations and policy changes to prevent future marine casualties, promote safety of life at sea, and protect the marine environment.

LCDR Pearson
Commanding Officer
Marine Safety Unit Thousand Islands

Lieutenant Commander Pearson serves as the Marine Safety Unit (MSU) Thousand Islands Commanding Officer. He is the direct representative of the Sector Eastern Great Lakes Captain of the Port, Officer in Charge of Marine Inspections, and Federal On-Scene Coordinator. He directs all marine safety missions within the U.S. navigable waters of the St. Lawrence River, Lake Oneida, Lake Cayuga, Eastern Lake Ontario and Erie Canal. MSU Thousand Islands is responsible for pollution response, marine casualty investigations, ballast water management, marine event permitting, regulated waterfront facility inspections, and managing a fleet of 20 small passenger vessels within the unit’s area of responsibility which extends from the St. Lawrence River International Bridge in Massena, NY to Port Bay, NY. 

Lieutenant Commander Pearson previously served as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Attaché and Coast Guard Liaison Officer (CGLO) at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In his dual role, he was the senior DHS representative to the U.S. Ambassador and Chief of Mission, advising him on maritime security, border enforcement, migration trends, and disaster response. Lieutenant Commander Pearson served as Supervisor of Marine Safety Detachment Portsmouth and three prior marine safety tours at Sector Northern New England, Sector New York, and Sector Miami earning his Operations Ashore Prevention Insignia and qualifications for domestic inspections, port state control, marine casualty investigations, container and facility inspections. 

Originally enlisting in the Coast Guard Reserve in 2004, Lieutenant Commander Pearson transitioned to active duty and served in Sector Key West’s personnel office and later as a legal technician at Training Center Yorktown. He earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in 2014. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and Information Technology from Daniel Webster College (2005), a MBA from California Coast University (2008), and is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Joint Warfare from the U.S. Air Force’s Air University. 

Lieutenant Commander Pearson’s personal decorations include two Coast Guard Commendation Medals, four Coast Guard Achievement Medals, the Department of State Meritorious Honor Award, and other unit and service awards. He hails from Kittery, Maine, enjoys travel, sports, and time with family and friends. He is married to Sonja Pearson (formerly Hrycuna), and they have two children: Oliver (19) and Berkeley (16).

LT David Zenkel
Executive Officer
Marine Safety Unit Thousand Islands

Lieutenant David Zenkel assumed the duties of Executive Officer of MSU Thousand Islands in July 2025. In this role he also serves as an Investigations Officer, addressing marine casualties for the unit's area of responsibility. Lieutenant Zenkel enlisted in the Coast Guard in December 2016. After recruit training, he served in the engineering department on USCGC ESCANABA (WMEC-907). In 2018, LT Zenkel graduated Boatswain's Mate A-School where he led members of the Deck Department on USCGC FRANK DREW (WLM-557). After being promoted to Second Class Perry Officer, he briefly served at Station Point Judith before attending Officer Candidate School in 2021. LT Zenkel's first officer tour was as an Apprentice Marine Inspector at USCG Sector New York in Staten Island where he inspected foreign flagged vessels in the Port State Control Branch and later US flagged, small passenger vessels.

LT Zenkel has a particular interest in GPS resilience, which he wrote about in one of his two articles published by the US Naval Institute. In 2022 LT Zenkel devised and organized a major Port-Wide GPS disruption table-top exercise attended by over 80 participants from the Coast Guard, Industry and partner agencies. For this event, involved members from Sector New York received the New York Federal Executive Board's Team of the Year Award for Science and Technology.

LT Zenkel's personal awards include two Coast Guard Achievement Medals, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and two Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbons. He also received the Officer Candidate School award for Highest Academic Average: Reserve Commission and the Boatswain's Mate "A" School Academic Excellence Award.

LT Zenkel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Russian Language and Culture from the University of Michigan (2016) and is still a member of the volunteer Fire Department in his hometown of Mamaroneck, NY. He is married to Katie Grimes of Yonkers, NY and has a one-year-old son.

 Marine Safety Unit Thousand Islands

4894 Nininger Street

Fort Drum, New York 13602

(315) 774-8724