A latest study, published in Frontiers in Conservation Science, revealed on Monday, June 9, that ship anchors are causing significant damage to the fragile Antarctic seafloor. This action is eventually crushing the unique marine life and leaving long-lasting scars.
According to scientists from New Zealand, Canada, and the United States, video footage from 36 Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island sites revealed that ship anchoring leaves areas almost lifeless, with crushed sponges and scarred seafloor, while surrounding undisturbed zones remain biodiverse.
Sally Watson, a marine geophysicist at New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and the study’s co-author said, “Anchoring impacts are understudied and underestimated globally. It’s so important to recognize and mitigate the impacts across all industries and limit planned anchoring.”
Using underwater cameras, the researchers discovered that the problem is worsening as shrinking sea ice makes more of Antarctica available for cruise, research, fishing, and private vessels, adding that anchor damage is almost entirely unregulated in Antarctica, despite strict conservation rules for other activities.
During the 2022-2023 Antarctic summer, at least 195 ships anchored in Antarctic seas, most certainly underestimating the total number, according to the study.
In disturbed regions, footage showed crushed ancient sponges and a paucity of benthic creatures, whereas undisturbed places were rich in unusual, slow-growing species that were particularly vulnerable to such impacts.
While research on anchor impacts is expanding in tropical reefs, Watson identified a significant knowledge gap in Antarctica. Each vessel that anchors in 30-40 meters of water might disturb at least 1,600 meters of seafloor, not counting further damage from chains dragging if ships move, she said.
Scientists warn that recovery from seafloor damage in Antarctica might take decades, although similar damage in warmer places has persisted for over ten years.
Matthew Mulrennan, who founded the California-based ocean exploration and conservation nonprofit KOLOSSAL, and the study’s lead author said that the loss of sponges and other seafloor life disturbs essential ecological services including water filtration, carbon storage, and habitat provision, jeopardizing the broader Antarctic food chain, which includes species such as penguins and seals that attract tourists.
Mulrennan concluded, “Anchoring is likely the most overlooked ocean conservation issue in terms of global seafloor disruption; it is on par with the damages from bottom trawling.”
