Environmentally Friendly Mooring Research Program

The Environmentally Friendly Mooring Research Program was established to reduce threats to seagrass. Seagrass is a valuable marine ecosystem that provides habitat and a food source for fish and other aquatic animals. Seagrass also protects coastlines by helping to reduce erosion and it improves water quality.

Traditional chain moorings use a concrete block, or heavy weights, on the seabed attached to a thick chain, ropes, and a buoy to hold a vessel in position under a range of weather conditions. When a moored vessel swings around the mooring with the wind, waves and currents, the heavy chain can scrape or scour the seafloor. The physical damage to the sea floor caused by chain moorings  is a threat to sensitive habitat such as seagrass.

To reduce this impact, the Environmentally Friendly Mooring Research Program addresses knowledge gaps in the effectiveness of design and performance of new types of advanced mooring systems, known as environmentally friendly moorings.

An environmentally friendly mooring is designed to minimise contact with the seafloor. These moorings generally replace the traditional heavy mooring chain with a flexible, buoyant mooring line, that has sufficient strength and elasticity to dampen the action of wind and waves on the vessel.

This collaborative research program involves engineering and trialling different types of environmentally friendly moorings. Knowledge gained from this work will provide information which can be used to develop guidelines for the installation and maintenance of environmentally friendly moorings, as well as providing greater confidence in the long-term use of environmentally friendly moorings, instead of traditional moorings.

An environmentally friendly mooring is designed to minimise contact with the seafloor. These moorings generally replace the traditional heavy mooring chain with a flexible, buoyant mooring line, that has sufficient strength and elasticity to dampen the action of wind and waves on the vessel.

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Traditional chain mooning (left) and an environmentally friendly mooring (right) - Derek Fulton, CSIRO

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In June 2023 the CSIRO and local mooring contractors commenced the deployment of 12 environmentally friendly moorings in Port Stephens (Salamander Bay), Sydney Harbour (Balmoral), and Jervis Bay (Callala Bay). The trial tests the performance of different environmentally friendly mooring designs under a range of environmental conditions prevalent across NSW waterways.

The CSIRO is currently monitoring the performance of all deployed environmentally friendly moorings in their trial and measuring their impact of the sea floor.

Stage 1 of the research program concluded with completion and publication of the CSIRO’s Literature Review of environmentally friendly moorings.

Stage 2 involves the in-water deployment of 12 environmentally friendly moorings for a 2-year period. The trial includes the direct replacement of traditional chain moorings with different types of environmentally friendly moorings.

Stage 1 of the research program concluded with completion of a Literature Review of Environmentally Friendly Moorings.

The scope of the Literature Review encompasses:

• reviewing environmentally friendly mooring assessment science
• evaluating the performance and market availability of different environmentally friendly mooring systems
• identifying and recommending environmentally friendly mooring designs for in-water trial.

Download the The CSIRO Literature Review of Environmentally Friendly Moorings: Environmental and Engineering Performance (PDF, 1.42 MB).