In Reply to: Anchor Damage on Coral Reefs posted by Elaine on October 17, 2010 at 11:59:02:

Yikes, that was a close call Chris! Great pictures and accompaning story as always Elaine. That is one of the most fascinationg places on earth, one of two places i want to go to someday--the other is Palmyra..

We can better manage our own habitat right here by not only changing tactics as the good captatain did, but also by upgrading our hardware. I am specifically referring to galvanized anchor chain--galvanized chain grips the kelp stalk and tears off the footing when the anchor is raised. Stainless steel chain slides through the kelp, doing much less damage to the forest.

SST chain is more expensive and can be a little more difficult to pull by hand because it is slippery, but hopefully more boaters will find the benefits to the forest outweigh the disadvantages. (Particularilly for divers who can retreive a stuck anchor)

I'd like to thank Frank O for making the investment in a more eco friendly SST anchor chain~ Outstanding earthmanship!

Thank you for highlighting the dangers of anchoring in a delicate environment Elaine, and thank the good captain for committing to doing something about it.

Protect that which you value~

• Thanks Brad! Elaine 20:14:35 10/18/10 (3)
  • An old anchor embedded in coral at Clipperton Island Chris 09:56:45 10/19/10 (1)
    • Re: An old anchor embedded in coral at Clipperton Island Brad 11:31:33 10/19/10 (0)
  • no, thank you! Brad 21:30:25 10/18/10 (0)