Ecological mooring organisation
The best is to moor yachts in sandy areas.
Sometimes it is not possible, and environmentally friendly structures must be set up.
Environmentally friendly mooring in the posidonia seagrass already exists for leisure boating (< 20 m). Buoys are attached to a screwed structure into the sea grass. An intermediate buoy avoids the chaîn to touch the seagrass.
For yachts > 20 m, the technology is under development. One system has recently been tested in Saint Tropez. This system is under development for yachting.
Nota bene : concrete structures such as artificial reefs are not always considered as an environmentally friendly mooring solution : it destroys the habitat under the structure, and can change the natural habitat by another habitat.
Projects based on environmentally friendly mooring systems are under consideration in Pampelonne Bay and Cap Ferrat.
https://www.observatoire-marin.com/milieu_pampelonne.htm
Hints and tips
Prefer sandy areas, easily identifiable by their clear bottom.
Use appropriate length of chain and warp. Reverse at 0,5 knots max.
Raise your anchor correctly (once the boat is over it).
DONIA Application
To anchor far from sensitive species, an application for smartphones and tablets created by the company Andromede Oceanologie, the Water Agency Rhône Méditerranée and Corse has been developed. Several marine habitats maps are freely available to guide yacht users towards a safe and environmental friendly mooring. The application launched in July 2018 has currently more than 5000 users.
www.donia.fr
Raising awareness
Bookmarks will be distributed to captains of yachts each summer with information on the latest regulations and environmental information. Specific campaigns are held every summer