A new paper from LECAR team, published online this week in the Journal of Coastal Conservation, assessed the damages caused to
benthic organisms by recreational diving boats anchoring activity in Arraial do Cabo Marine Extractive Reserve, one of the most visited
scuba diving destinations on the Brazilian coast. The results revealed that, by causing severe damages such as breakages and
dislodgement of corals, gorgonians, zoanthids and other organisms, anchoring is a relevant stressor to benthic organisms at dive sites
in the reserve. The authors further suggest the simple and low-cost actions, such as the implementation of a mooring buoys system
would suffice to mitigate the ecological impacts on the benthic organisms in this important reef system of southwestern Atlantic.

Damages caused by anchoring on benthic organisms in Arraial do Cabo. a) Anchor damaging a colony of the fire
coral M. alcicornis; B) anchor and cable damaging M. alcicornis and the zoanthid P. caribaeorum; C) cable (chain)
damaging P. caribaeorum; and D) suspending a colony of the massive coral S. stellata.

Giglio VJ, Ternes MLF, Mendes TC, Cordeiro CAMM, Ferreira CEL (2017) Anchoring damages to benthic organisms in     
a subtropical scuba dive hotspot. Journal of Coastal Conservation. doi: 10.1007/s11852-017-0507-7 PDF

Written by: Vinicius J Giglio 03/2017