A rare seahorse habitat off the Dorset coast is showing strong signs of recovery, after new eco-moorings helped damaged seagrass meadows begin to heal.
Some bare scars caused by boat anchor chains shrank by more than 90% over four years, according to research by Kira Dunn of the University of Southampton. The findings offer the first scientific evidence that the moorings can help restore seagrass at Studland Bay.
Seagrass recovery tracked across 39 damaged areas
The Studland Bay Marine Partnership began installing its first eco-moorings in 2021. Unlike traditional moorings, which use chains that drag across the seabed, the new systems are designed to avoid damaging the delicate plants.
Dunn analysed five years of monitoring data, using sonar surveys and historical satellite imagery to follow changes across 39 damaged areas of seabed.
In the section where 10 trial eco-moorings were installed in 2021, the bare patches decreased by an average of 93.6% between 2021 and 2025. The damaged areas shrank by around 57 sq m each year.
A second study area, where traditional chain moorings remained until 2023, recorded a 65.4% reduction in scars, at a rate of around 15.9 sq m a year.
A boost for protected seahorses
Studland Bay has been a Marine Conservation Zone since 2019 and contains one of the UK’s largest seagrass meadows. It is home to protected spiny seahorses and short-snouted seahorses.
The bay also became a voluntary no-anchor zone in 2021. Seagrass provides shelter for marine life, stores carbon and helps protect coastlines from erosion, but the habitats are declining around the world because of pollution, development, disturbance and climate change.
Dunn carried out the research as part of an MSc in Marine Biology with Oceanography. She described the project as rewarding and positive, saying it was encouraging to see how quickly the habitat could regenerate when given the chance.
Dr Ken Collins, who supervised the study, said Studland Bay was becoming an example of how practical conservation could reverse habitat damage and produce measurable improvements.
The partnership brings together conservation charities, boating organisations, academics, statutory bodies, community groups and businesses. Its members include Dorset Wildlife Trust, Natural England, the National Trust, the Seahorse Trust and the University of Southampton.
Why this is good news for Britain
The project is helping restore an important British coastal habitat while supporting protected seahorses and other marine species. It also shows how targeted changes to boating infrastructure, backed by monitoring and university research, can improve the health of a local marine environment.
