The Marine Management Organisation reported on 19 October 2026 that scientific evidence shows seagrass scars caused by traditional anchoring in Studland Bay, off the Dorset coast, shrank by more than 90% since eco-moorings were introduced. The bay was designated a Marine Conservation Zone in 2019, and the MMO introduced a voluntary no anchor zone there in 2021 alongside the Studland Bay Marine Partnership. A £186,000 Fisheries and Seafood Scheme grant in 2023 supported a larger £248,000 project including 57 additional eco-moorings, bringing the total to 87.

Research by Kira Dunn of the University of Southampton analysed five years of monitoring data, using side-scan sonar surveys, historical satellite imagery and annual monitoring across 39 damaged seabed areas. In the first trial area, bare patches shrank by an average of 93.6% between 2021 and 2025, with about 57 square metres recovering each year. In a second area where traditional chain moorings remained until 2023, scars reduced by 65.4% once alternatives became available, at about 15.9 square metres a year.

Jessica Churchill-Bissett, Head of Marine Conservation (Wildlife) at the MMO, said the bay was a case study for proportionate conservation initiatives. David Brown, chair of the partnership's steering group, said the findings were encouraging and showed every mapped anchor scar healing. The MMO linked the findings to its Your Coast campaign call for evidence.