Eco-Moorings Help Dorset Seagrass Recover, Study Finds
Seagrass meadows in Dorset’s Studland Bay are recovering after eco-moorings reduced damage caused by traditional anchors, The Guardian reports. Scars on the seabed have almost disappeared in some areas over five years, while the improving habitat is supporting marine life including seahorses, eels and crabs.
Dorset’s seagrass meadows are recovering after the introduction of eco-moorings designed to prevent anchors from damaging the seabed, according to a study reported by The Guardian. The research examined Studland Bay, where scars caused by traditional anchors have almost entirely disappeared in some areas. The report describes the recovery as taking place over five years.
Eco-moorings are intended to avoid the seabed being ripped up when boats are secured. The reduction in physical damage has helped the submerged meadows recover, the report says. The improving habitat is associated with increased marine life, including seahorses, eels and crabs.
The study therefore links the restoration of the seagrass environment with benefits for species that use the meadows. The supplied material does not give the number of moorings installed, the size of the area studied or the precise method used by researchers to measure the recovery. It reports that scars have almost entirely vanished in some parts of Studland Bay.
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