Institute for Conservation Biology and Environmental Management, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
Mar Environ Res. 2013 Feb;83:54-62. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.10.010. Epub 2012 Nov 12.
Permanent boat moorings have contributed to the decline of seagrasses worldwide, prompting the development of 'seagrass-friendly' moorings. We contrasted seagrass cover and density (predominantly Posidonia australis) in the vicinity of three mooring types and nearby reference areas lacking moorings in Jervis Bay, Australia. We examined two types of 'seagrass-friendly' mooring and a conventional 'swing' mooring. 'Swing' moorings produced significant seagrass scour, denuding patches of ~9 m radius. Seagrass-friendly 'cyclone' moorings produced extensive denuded patches (average radius of ~18 m). Seagrass-friendly 'screw' moorings, conversely, had similar seagrass cover to nearby reference areas. Our findings reinforce previous work highlighting the negative effects of 'swing' and 'cyclone' moorings. In contrast, the previously unstudied 'screw' moorings were highly effective. We conclude that regular maintenance of moorings and the monitoring of surrounding seagrass are required to ensure that 'seagrass-friendly' moorings are operating effectively. This is important, as following damage Posidonia will take many decades to recover.
永久性船泊系泊设施已经导致全球海草的减少，促使开发“海草友好型”系泊设施。我们在澳大利亚杰维斯湾对比了三种系泊类型和附近无系泊设施的参考区域附近的海草覆盖率和密度（主要是南方波喜荡草）。我们检查了两种“海草友好型”系泊和一种传统的“摆动”系泊。“摆动”系泊会产生严重的海草冲刷，使大约 9 米半径的区域光秃秃的。“旋风”系泊会产生广泛的裸露斑块（平均半径约 18 米）。相比之下，“螺丝”系泊的海草覆盖率与附近的参考区域相似。我们的研究结果加强了先前工作中强调“摆动”和“旋风”系泊负面影响的观点。相比之下，以前未研究过的“螺丝”系泊效果非常好。我们的结论是，需要定期维护系泊设施并监测周围的海草，以确保“海草友好型”系泊设施有效运行。这很重要，因为在波喜荡草受损后，需要几十年才能恢复。
