Studland Bay Marine Partnership
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What's happening now and how to pledge your support
Look for the location code tags on the pickup lines. Yellow stickers - 10 tonne. Blue stickers - 5 tonne. Welcome to the 2025 boating season! Securing additional funding in 2024 brought the total number of available eco-moorings in the bay to 87. We hope that all boaters will respect the VNAZ and use the eco-moorings now installed - during the winter months all but 10 eco-moorings are removed to be cleaned, tested and maintained. The skilled team from Apex Diving & Marine are reinstalling now and hope to complete fully by the 17th April 2025, weather dependant. The SBMP will leave 10 eco-moorings available all year round and reinstall the remainder at the beginning of each boating season. In order to achieve this cycle of maintenance and install the partnership will use the revenue achieved through mooring fees. All eco-moorings are subject to insurance compliance, for details please see the FAQs
Boat users, who benefit themselves and the seagrass by using an eco-mooring, can forward their mooring fee via the simple to use Sippi Mooring App and we recommend downloading the app prior to your first use of the eco-moorings. You can also use this link to pay The SBMP is not-for-profit and all funds raised support the project. Step by Step Guide to Pay to Moor If you experience any problems using the Sippi app please provide your feedback to the SBMP.
Following feedback during the 2024 season, in 2025 the fees to moor will be:
- £7.50 for up to 4 hours
- £15 for up to 24hrs (overnight)
- £150 for a seasonal pass for frequent visitors
If you'd like further details on the mooring fee scheme, questions on the installation, are interested in joining the partnership or becoming a corporate sponsor helping us to protect Studland's precious seagrass habitats for generations to come, please contact us.
One of the helical screws installed on 8 May 2024 attached to the rode which ensures the mechanism floats above the seagrass Credit Apex Diving & Marine
New for 2025 - we are delighted to announce partnership with our new Principal Supporter Carbon Neutral Britain. You too can provide essential support to our research, monitoring and educational programmes through our donation page kindly supported by the National Trust: Donate to the Studland Bay appeal
The MMO has a dedicated webpage for Studland Bay which details their annual surveys and provides additional information on the MCZ and VNAZ MMO Studland Bay
Who's Listening
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Phone 01305 224728 Email sara.parker@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Pay-to-moor
By making a payment each time you moor onto one of our eco-moorings you are directly supporting the Studland Bay Marine Partnership's work to protect this valuable habitat while allowing people to continue enjoying recreational boating in the bay.
In 2025 the fees for mooring are:
£7.50 for up to 4 hours
£15 for up to 24 hours (overnight)
£150 seasonal pass
All funds raised through Sippi Mooring App will be used towards the work of the partnership supporting the maintenance of the eco-moorings and marine conservation at Studland. Use the app or this link to pay
Terms & Conditions
These eco-moorings are managed by the National Trust on behalf of the Studland Bay Marine Partnership (SBMP) a not-for-profit local organisation who will use your mooring fee to support marine conservation and the ongoing maintenance of the eco-moorings: Studland Bay Marine Partnership | Dorset Coast Have Your Say. Each eco-mooring provides an environmentally alternative to anchoring. By using these eco-moorings, you are protecting the seabed, but please ensure that you do so responsibly by adhering to the following terms:
- Do not moor a vessel over the 5 tonne (blue banded block C) or 10 tonne limits (yellow banded blocks A-B) as stated on the mooring.
- Pay the mooring fee on arrival.
- No rafting of vessels.
- No mooring when the swell is greater than 1 metre.
- Use the pick-up line provided.
- Ensure that you have adequate marine insurance.
- Respect other users and keep a safe distance from other vessels.
- No commercial trading.
Please remember that Studland Bay is designated a Marine Conservation Zone and is an ecologically rich but fragile environment. For details of how to enjoy the MCZ sustainably please consult the Marine Management Organisation: Managing marine non-licensable activity in Studland Bay Marine Conservation Zone - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
By adhering to these rules, we will ensure these eco-moorings keep going for years to come, allowing future generations of boaters to enjoy Studland Bay without doing so at the expense of the environment.
Eco-mooring users are advised to passage plan and use admiralty charts or similar to ensure draft suitability for the areas that they are operating in.
NEW! 2024 MMO Studland Bay VNAZ Review
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) have now released the results of the 2024 Studland Bay Stakeholder Survey to review the effectiveness of the voluntary no anchor zone (VNAZ).
You can read the review here or scan the QR Code:
WATCH! The Crown Estate spotlight on Studland Bay
WATCH New shoots!
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University of Southampton research and monitoring divers observing seagrass regrowth in the voluntary no anchor zone. As part of the SBMP the University of Southampton play an important role observing how the conservation measures of the eco-moorings are impacting on Dorset's largest seagrass meadow.
Donate-to-project
Eco-mooring install layout 2025
Resources & Information
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2025 Pay to Moor Guide (1.35 MB) (pdf)
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Boat Users Information
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Download the 2025 season leaflet here (11.3 MB) (pdf)
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Poole Harbour Marina Guide 2025
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SBMP Myth Busting Info Sheet (1.21 MB) (pdf)
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Savvy Navvy App
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MMO VNAZ Map June 2022 (113 KB) (png)
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How Advanced Eco-Moorings work - RYA Guide
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7 tips for being boating wildlife aware
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Studland Bay VNAZ Coordinates for boat users (546 KB) (pdf)
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Engagement Information
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Family Factsheets
SBMP Core Partners 2024
SBMP Research & Monitoring Group (RMG) 2024
Episode 7 - Studland eco-moorings
