Across the world, large ocean-going vessels, like cargo vessels, cruise ships, and tankers, anchor outside ports. Anchoring keeps the vessels safe and secure, but for the seabed below, the impacts can be quite damaging, particularly if that seabed hosts corals or seagrass. But what about rocky reefs, like those outside Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia?

The impacts of anchoring

Research on anchoring impacts on corals and seagrasses in shallow waters suggests that the damage caused by anchoring comes in two stages. First is the initial anchor impact, which digs into the seabed. Then comes movement as the ship shifts at the surface due to changing winds or tides. Even if the anchor doesn’t move too much, the chain sweeps around, dislodging and damaging marine life. “The impact of anchoring on rocky reefs in deeper water by large vessels hasn’t received as much attention,” says Dr Tim Ingleton, Research Scientist at the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment.

…

Read the full story “Tackling anchor damage” at On the Radar.