New South Wales Government NSW Maritime

Serving our Boating Community - Safe Waterways and Support for the Maritime Community

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Seagrasses

Seagrasses

Seagrass beds provide food and shelter for a wide variety of fish and invertebrates. Many popular angling species use seagrasses as their nursery, before moving to other habitats as they grow. Seagrasses also help bind the sea floor and improve water quality.

Much of NSW seagrass has been lost through the effects of water pollution, foreshore development and recreational use of waterways. You can help to preserve seagrasses by:

Not driving your boat across shallow, weedy areas, as boat propellers act like harvesters on seagrass;
Not anchoring on seagrass beds, as anchors can dislodge seagrass plants; and
If you need to replace your mooring and it is currently over a seagrass bed, contact your local NSW Maritime Office to discuss relocating it to an area away from seagrass.

NSW Maritime is currently trialling seagrass friendly moorings in an attempt to minimise the impact of boating on seagrass beds. The Department of Primary Industries is also undertaking an inventory of seagrasses in NSW which will assist in identifying appropriate mooring areas and help to determine where anchoring will not damage seagrasses.

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