Seahorse habitats 'healing' thanks to eco-moorings

Scars caused to rare seahorse habitats by boat anchors off the Dorset coast are starting to heal, thanks to the installation of new moorings.

In 2021, Studland Bay Marine Partnership began installing the first of dozens of eco-moorings in a bid to reverse damage to delicate seagrass meadows.

A new scientific study has now provided the first evidence that eco-moorings can help restore seagrass, with some scars shrinking by more than 90% over four years.

David Brown, chair of the partnership steering group, called the results "incredibly exciting", adding: "The impact has been beyond our expectations."

Seagrass habitats store carbon, support biodiversity and help protect coastlines from erosion, but are declining globally due to pollution, development, disturbance and climate change.

The research, conducted by Kira Dunn as part of her MSc in Marine Biology with Oceanography at the University of Southampton, analysed monitoring data collected since the first eco-moorings were installed.

Using sonar surveys, historical satellite imagery and five years of monitoring data, the study tracked recovery across 39 damaged areas of seabed.

In the area where 10 trial eco-moorings were installed in 2021, the size of bare patches in the seagrass decreased by an average of 93.6% between 2021 and 2025, shrinking by around 57 sq m each year.

In a second study area, where traditional chain moorings remained until 2023, the scars reduced by 65.4%, around 15.9 sq m a year.

Studland Bay has been a designated a Marine Conservation Zone since 2019 and is home to one of the UK's largest seagrass meadows, supporting species such as the protected spiny seahorse and short-snouted seahorse.

The bay also became a voluntary no-anchor zone in 2021.

Dunn, who graduated this year, said the research project had been "rewarding and positive".

She said: "It's incredibly encouraging to see how quickly this important habitat can regenerate when given the opportunity."

Dr Ken Collins, of the University of Southampton, who supervised the study, said: "Studland Bay is becoming a powerful example of how practical conservation measures can reverse habitat damage and deliver measurable environmental improvements."

Brown, who is also lead ecologist for the National Trust, said: "These results are incredibly exciting, and a huge encouragement to all the organisations and individuals who have given so much time and support to the partnership.

"The impact has been beyond our expectations, and thanks to robust monitoring and research, we have the science to prove how the eco-moorings benefit seagrass and all the species that rely on it."

Studland Bay Marine Partnership is made up of conservation charities, boating organisations, academics, statutory bodies, community groups and businesses, with the aim of restoring Studland's seagrass.

Partners include Dorset Wildlife Trust, Natural England, the National Trust, the Seahorse Trust and the University of Southampton.