THE MOORING SCARS OF JERSEY: Examining the extent of block and chain mooring damage to seagrass in St. Catherine’s Bay, and the influence of mooring depth and location

Seagrass meadows are one of the most threatened habitats in the world and declines in seagrass have been seen globally. Traditional block and chain moorings are contributing to this loss worldwide. Using aerial images of Jersey, the extent of the damage from moorings in St. Catherine’s Bay and annual changes in the meadow have been reviewed. A review of the meadow size and area of scar damage from 2020 to 2021 revealed an increase in the overall size of the meadow and a reduction in the size of the mooring scars. However, the study acknowledges that additional aerial images, from previous years, should be included in analysis for a more accurate long-term trend. Many countries are now moving to environmentally friendly mooring systems within seagrass meadows, to limit damage and improve recovery. Current eco-friendly mooring designs are unable to function in Jerseys huge tidal range, of up to 12meters. Therefore, gaining further knowledge on the factors that result in larger or smaller areas of damage to the seabed could help in the development of a more suitable design for the island or influence a management strategy for the bay. The results of this study found that the depth and the location of a mooring have no significant impact on the size of the mooring scars, indicating that there are other potential factors influencing the amount of damage, which will be outlined in this study.