K-Sea Transportation Partners L.P. Announces Record Date of May 26, 2011 for Special Meeting of Unitholders

K-Sea Transportation Partners L.P. (NYSE: KSP) ("K-Sea”) announced today it has established a record date for a special meeting of its unitholders to consider and vote on a proposal to adopt a previously announced definitive merger agreement with Kirby Corporation (NYSE: KEX) ("Kirby”). Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, K-Sea will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kirby.

K-Sea unitholders of record as of the close of business on May 26, 2011, are entitled to notice of the special meeting and to vote at the special meeting. The special meeting will be held on Friday, July 1, 2011, at 9:00 a.m., local time, at One Tower Center Boulevard, 17^th Floor, East Brunswick, New Jersey 08816.

Holders of K-Sea common units have the right to elect whether to receive all cash or a combination of cash and Kirby common stock as consideration for their K-Sea common units. In order to properly make an election, holders of K-Sea common units must submit the requisite election materials to the exchange agent for the merger by the election deadline, which is 5:00 p.m., New York time, on June 28, 2011. K-Sea unitholders with questions relating to the election or transmittal of materials, including those who hold common units through a broker or bank, may contact Georgeson Inc., the information agent for the merger, at (866) 278-8941.

Additional Information

In connection with the proposed merger, Kirby filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC”) a registration statement on Form S-4 that includes a proxy statement of K-Sea and a prospectus of Kirby. On or about June 1, 2011, K-Sea began mailing the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to the unitholders of K-Sea. INVESTORS ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER MATERIALS REGARDING THE PROPOSED MERGER BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT KIRBY AND K-SEA AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors may obtain a free copy of Kirby’s registration statement on Form S-4, the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents containing information about Kirby and K-Sea, without charge, at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. Copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and the filings with the SEC that are incorporated by reference in the proxy statement/prospectus can also be obtained, without charge, from K-Sea’s website at www.k-sea.com.

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

Participants in Solicitation

K-Sea and its directors, officers and certain other members of management may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from K-Sea’s unitholders in respect of the proposed merger. Information about these persons can be found in K-Sea’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2010, as filed with the SEC on September 13, 2010. Additional information about the interests of such persons in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the merger is included in the registration statement and the proxy statement/prospectus filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed merger.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes "forward-looking statements” as defined by the SEC. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein that address activities, events or developments that K-Sea expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including anticipated benefits and other aspects of the proposed merger, are forward-looking statements.

About K-Sea Transportation Partners

K-Sea Transportation Partners is one of the largest coastwise tank barge operators in the United States. K-Sea provides refined petroleum products transportation, distribution and logistics services in the U.S. domestic marine transportation market, and its common units trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol KSP. For additional information, please visit K-Sea’s website, including the Investor Relations section, at www.k-sea.com.

About Kirby Corporation

Kirby, based in Houston, Texas, operates inland tank barges and towing vessels, transporting petrochemicals, black oil products, refined petroleum products and agricultural chemicals throughout the United States inland waterway system. Kirby also owns and operates four ocean-going barge and tug units transporting dry-bulk commodities in the United States coastwise trade. Through the diesel engine services segment, Kirby provides after-market service for medium-speed and high-speed diesel engines and reduction gears used in marine, power generation and railroad applications, distributes and services high-speed diesel engines, transmissions, pumps and compression products, and manufacturers oil field service equipment, including hydraulic fracturing equipment, for land-based pressure pumping and oilfield services markets.