Mooring Buoys Destroy Reefs?

The other night my local scuba club announced that they were starting a program to establish mooring buoys on our reef system. This has been vetted through the host country's Environmental Protection Agency, and they are excited that us divers would take the initiative.

During the discussion at the club meeting one member was pretty adamant about making sure this was the best conservational practice to use in order to protect our reef. He was quoting a marine biologist that stated mooring buoys' tether destroys the reef. While I can visualize this I could not find any supporting research to support this claim. I just cannot see how deploying two anchors into the reef with the hopes of striking sand and not coral would be a better conservational method than anchoring to a mooring buoy.

Does anyone have any supporting scientific research concerning mooring buoys' destruction to the reef's ecosystem?

Thanks,

~Oldbear~

it really all depends on the system used.

if there is a single anchor type system then the anchor chain will rub a dead circle around the anchor as the tides change. this will also happen with any system with a chain on a single attachment point that has scope.

the prefered method is to use a helix anchor, the screw in type. The bohemian system is three anchors 120 degrees apart (triangle). there are three chins coming into the center then attached to a swivel with a cable running up to the mooring ball.

these systems have proven to be very safe, extremely durable and steadfast, and do minimal damage.

you could use a single screw and a line up to a bouy and do NO damage. as long as the chain/cable does not scrape around on the bottom there willbe no damage.

Or, you could use PolyPro like that used in every MPA in the world and change it out every 4 years. Polypro floats and doesn't leave a watch circle of destruction.

I install moorings in coral reefs for a living. As I'd love to bring all of my tools to Kwaj and install them for you, I don't reckon that will happen. So, I'll just consult from 6,000 miles away if you'd like. My advice is worth exactly what you will pay for it. It's nice to have someone who knows what they are doing so you don't have to reinvent the wheel too often. Bottom time is valuable.

Chain or cable is typically only used on wrecks here in the US. Never on coral reef.

While I am not positive the person leading the charge on this effort is using the Polypro. Thanks for the suggestions I will pass them along to the team.

The question is still out there ... has anyone see any research?

Yes, but it involves diver impacts around mooring buoys against places where there divers but no moorings against places where there are no divers and no moorings. We're 2 years into a 5 year study in Dry Tortugas National Park. We're also looking at science only sites, as in, the places where scientists drive steel rods into the reef and set their camera stands down. There won't be publishable data for many years.

Wookie:

Yes, but it involves diver impacts around mooring buoys against places where there divers but no moorings against places where there are no divers and no moorings. We're 2 years into a 5 year study in Dry Tortugas National Park. We're also looking at science only sites, as in, the places where scientists drive steel rods into the reef and set their camera stands down. There won't be publishable data for many years.

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Thanks Capt Frank...I will keep my eyes open for it to come.

Oldbear:

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Does anyone have any supporting scientific research concerning mooring buoys' destruction to the reef's ecosystem?

Thanks,

~Oldbear~

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Scientific, no. But let's use some logic.

It seems reasonable that setting a mooring ball would indeed cause some additional damage to the immediate area around the ball. Just the mechanics of it all with dangling ropes, chain and cables hitting the reef. Also increased diver pressure in the area of the ball is common.

However, that is all limited in geography and one time. Repeated anchoring in the area seems to me to be much more destructive. It will be in a slightly different place each time and the area of damage will be much larger. Also, anchoring a boat is a skill and when done poorly will cause a dragging anchor leading to much more damage.

Just my two cents but permanent moorings seem like a no brainer to me.