Montego
Bay
Marine
Park
•
Mooring Buoys
• Regulations & Responsible Behaviours
• The Natural Resources Conservation (Marine
Parks) Regulations
• Fishing
A
small, one-time impact that protects the seafloor for the long term
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A little marine ecology to start... |
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| Benthic
(bottom) habitats |
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 Soft
substrate environments include sandy bottoms right into muds, from
mixed gravels to finely textured substrates• The creatures in this environment are mainly infauna (live in the soil) • These include cucumbers, sea mice, sand dollars, razor fish, worms, clams, stingrays, crabs, flounder, garden eels • These animals are largely filter feeders and planktonivores- they help clean the water • Soft bottom habitats are important feeding grounds for adult fish of many species |
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| Seagrass
(several species) |
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 •
Plant roots hold soil and break waves• This is necessary nursery habitat for many species, including parrotfish, grunt, snapper, jacks, stingrays… • It is also feeding habitat for adult fish: grunt, snapper, tarpon, snook, bonefish, grouper, barracuda, eagle ray… • Home for conch, octopus, clams, crabs, squid...  |
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| Coral |
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 Coral
is a colony of little living polyps with limestone skeletons.It is an important ecosystem for a variety of reasons: • Habitat for mature and juvenile animals: Fish, Crabs, Squid… pretty much everybody • Reefs help breaks waves before they reach the shore, or more delicate habitats such as mangroves or seagrass areas • Eroding coral creates sand, e.g. Montego Bay's beautiful white sand beaches • Coral is the colourful product that watersports sell.  |
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What
does an anchor do? |
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 It
gouges into the benthic habitat to hold your boat in place…
chains from the anchor line also disturb this habitat
These benthic habitats are delicate. When they are disturbed... |
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Permanent
mooring systems |
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 These
Anchor Damages Are Acute …. But AvoidablePark moorings are permanent with a one-time damage, and with a limited footprint. • Permanently anchored lines into the substrate • Permanently available moorings/ropes to tie to. • No more need for anchors • Safe, strong and easy to use mooring • Currently we have 39 deployed within the park area |
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| Types
of moorings that the park utilises |
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 In
coral areas:• A hole is bored into an solid area of dead coral • An eyed anchor pin is set into this hole • Concrete is set into the hole to anchor the pin • Mooring lines and marker floats are attached to this permanent anchor point |
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A “Manta Ray” device is vibrated/hammered into the sand, where it anchors itself Lines and floats are attached to the eyed end of this permanent anchor  Tools required for a "Manta Ray"are shown to the right— |
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 Concrete
blocks, engine blocks, train wheels: heavy masses• Blocks are set in sandy areas • Lines and floats are attached to these heavy masses. • May be dug-in to set into the sand • Work mainly by weight Impermanent and moveable, storm or accidentally draggable |
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| Proper
use of moorings |
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 Approach
from Down-Wind/Down-CurrentApproach carefully (lines, snorkelers, buoys, boats) Attach to eyed, floating pick-up line extending from float using your OWN bow-line: a carabineer clip may make this easier. Have a minimum of 6M of your line between boat and attachment point. Attach only at your boats bow. |
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| CAUTION | |||
DO NOT tie or
attach directly to Park Mooring. DO NOT strain/use engine against the mooring DO NOT
attach more than ONE boat per mooring |
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| Future
of the mooring system |
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| • Setting
of further moorings • Moving away from/replacement of Heavy Mass moorings • Regular cleaning / periodic replacement of lines • Deployment of Park moorings in marina and sea-side residential areas to allow sea grass re-colonization |
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| Our eventual goal = Elimination of anchor use within the Park area | |||
 T'anx
for learning about our mooring buoy system!Sincerely,
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