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Mooring and Anchoring

Swanage AMS payments
QR code payment on Studland Bay AMS (Studland Bay Marine Partnership)

Moorings can be categorised as conventional swing moorings, trot moorings and ‘eco-moorings’. Other forms of mooring include bolts attached directly to rock (subtidal and intertidal), pontoons and pile moorings.

This category encompasses the following activities:

Advanced Mooring Systems (AMS), or eco moorings, are mooring systems designed to have less impact on the sea bed than conventional swing moorings. They aim to minimise interaction with the seabed to prevent abrasion and therefore the potential to damage sensitive habitats. The Green Blue has a guide to anchoring and mooring

ReMEDIES

The LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES: ‘Reducing and Mitigating Erosion and Disturbance Impacts affecting the Seabed’ project (LIFE 18 NAT/UK/000039) which ran from July 2019 to October 2024 aimed to improve the condition of seagrass beds and maerl in five Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) including the Solent. This was achieved by restoration, demonstrating suitable management options and reducing recreational pressures, such as the use of Advanced Mooring Systems (AMS). As part of the project, trials of AMS were installed as both boat moorings and as markers to reduce impacts to the seabed. An information note summarises the lessons learnt.



Watch a YouTube video that looks at the use of Advanced Mooring Systems as an alternative to traditional moorings. Experts in the field share more about the designs of these systems as well as their potential to limit the impact of recreational boating on seabed habitat. 

MMO Management of Moorings and Anchoring

In December 2021, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) introduced a phased voluntary approach for the management of anchoring in Studland Bay Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ). In June 2022, the area will be increased to cover the majority of seagrass beds to form a permanent voluntary no anchor zone. Studland Bay is very popular with boaters and the level of recreational activity, particularly anchoring activity within the seagrass beds in the MCZ, can result in damage to the seagrass when they anchors make contact with and dig into the seabed.

Potential Impacts


Resources