Installing Ecomoorings

Neil Garrick-Maidment is organizing this fundraiser to benefit The Seahorse Trust.

Do you want to join us in making a difference? We are raising money for The Seahorse Trust and its partners Boatfolk and others at the Studland Bay Marine Partnership to make a difference to the ocean, especially seahorses and seagrass and every donation you give will help save, not just our oceans but our climate as well because healthy seagrass meadows are amazing stores for Carbon and they help to diffuse wave action, which protects beaches and cliffs.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to us, especially the seahorses, you are directly helping the planet

More information about The Seahorse Trust: The Seahorse Trust is a registered charitable organisation for research into and of seahorses, education about seahorses and the wider marine environment and the enjoyment of seahorses and other species.

We also look to conserve other species and habitats in the sea, on land and in the air for the future of nature and the natural world. Check out our website for more information. www.theseahorsetrust.org

More information about the Studland Bay Marine Partnership: The SBMP was set up to bring together partners such as The Seahorse Trust, boatfolk, Southampton University, the National Trust and RYA and many others to conserve and preserve Studland Bay Marine Conservation Zone.

Check out the website for more information. https://www.dorsetcoast.com/projects/studland-bay-marine-partnership/

OUR PROJECT

With our many partners we are putting together a completely independent not for profit (NFP) organisation that will oversee the installation of Ecomoorings into sensitive sites around the country.

We aim, where we can to make these Ecomoorings free to use, however the cost of buying them, installing them and maintenance is considerable and so we are putting together a not-for-profit organisation to do just that and to fundraise for further Ecomoorings to be installed into sensitive areas like Studland Bay in Dorset and other highly sensitive sites. This project directly benefits, sensitive marine areas like seagrass beds and also the species that live in them like Spiny Seahorses (Hippocampus guttulatus) or occasionally Short Snouted Seahorses (Hippocampus hippocampus).

Your donation will go towards setting up this company, employing a member of staff to oversee it and to buy the Ecomoorings and get them installed, which includes all the licences and permissions needed to do this.

For full independent transparency we are setting up an advisory board from a host of other national and local organisations who will guide the project along its way and who will meet frequently to keep the project on track.

WHY IS THERE A NEED?

Most areas where boats like to anchor are highly sensitive areas for sea life like seahorses in areas like seagrass meadows, it is a fragile, easily damaged environment. These areas are often seagrass meadows or other sensitive habitats and as can be imagined, lots of anchors being used on these sites cause intense and long-lasting damage, leaving behind a devastated seabed and a huge loss of species.

Seahorses trying to find seagrass amongst the devastation

Seahorses and seagrass are both under threat, we need to take urgent action and one of the best ways to do this, is to install Ecomoorings, you can make this happen.

Our climate is under major threat from global warming and keeping habitats like seagrass in good condition and encouraging them to expand by reducing harm to them, you are directly helping the global warming crisis, especially as seagrass stores more carbon than trees in the Amazon rain forest. It also reduces waves action and so you will also be helping to protect beaches and cliffs from erosion and all the species of plant and animals that live in and on them.

WHAT IS AN ECOMOORING?

An Ecomooring or Environmentally Friendly Mooring (EFM) is a secure anchoring system that has a very small footprint on the seabed and does not allow its chain (because there isn't one) to drag on the seabed or in amongst the seagrass. See pictures 1 and 2.

Ecomooring elasticated rode and buoy

Picture 1

Ecomooring helical screw

Picture 2

Difference between and EFM and a traditional mooring

Picture 3

Traditional moorings drag their heavy chain around the seabed and cut down everything that lives there.

An EFM (pictures 1 and 2) has a long helical screw that goes into the seabed by 2 metres and it has a small footprint of only 15cm across. Instead of a heavy metal chain it has an elasticated riser (rode) (picture 1) that goes up to the surface marker buoy. As the tide rises the rode stretches and as the tide recedes the rode shrinks and so it never lays on the seabed. Even if it did, it is rubber and will not cut through anything on the seabed.

This allows boats to moor up in sensitive sea areas and not harm the marine life or seabed habitats.

Why not contact us and have an Ecomooring installed especially for you, your organisation, or your company or even in memory of someone dear to you . They can be sign written to show your support. If you want a sign written mooring then we would ask that you pay for the full installation, which will be about £3,000 per Ecomooring (donation can be made through this fundraiser), this includes buying it, sign writing with your logo or name on it and a photograph of it in place.

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?

Your donation will go towards the Sewaahorse tSBMP, employing a member of staff to oversee it, fundraise for it and to buy the ecomoorings and get them installed, which includes all the licences and legal permissions needed to do this.

Please do not forget to Gift Aid your donation if you are a UK tax payer, this means we can claim 25% of the value of your donation from the government and it will not cost you a penny extra.

WHOS INVOLVED.

The Seahorse Trust, boatfolk (marina and boating services) and the SBMP have come together to form a unique partnership to address the problems of anchors causing damage to the seabed. We have also been supported and helped by many other organisations like ROCKFISH restaurants, PIG ON THE BEACH Hotels, the AGENA Group, other charities and individuals .