Seagrass habitats damaged by boat anchors off Dorset’s Studland Bay are recovering after eco-moorings were installed, offering new evidence that practical conservation can restore important marine ecosystems. The findings matter because seagrass stores carbon, supports biodiversity and protects coastlines, while providing habitat for protected spiny and short-snouted seahorses.

Researchers analysed sonar surveys, satellite imagery and five years of monitoring data covering 39 damaged seabed areas. Where 10 eco-moorings were installed in 2021, bare patches shrank by an average of 93.6% by 2025, while scars in an area retaining traditional moorings until 2023 fell by 65.4%. Studland Bay has been a Marine Conservation Zone since 2019 and became a voluntary no-anchor zone in 2021.