A Proposal to Provide Mooring Buoys in .Selected Marine Areas of Hong Kong.

Installing a HELIX Anchor at Moon Island in the Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park..

Oceanway Corporation August 2006

1. Executive Summary
Anchor damage is the most preventable form of coral damage caused by humans. There is very little doubt that mooring buoys placed in coral areas reduce the amount of coral damage caused by anchors in these areas. In most cases more than 80%. Mooring buoys are also an important management tool in that they are useful in controlling the usage of certain areas by somewhat restricting the boat usage of sections of marine parks by grouping users together in specific areas and encouraging boats to move on to other areas if all the buoys, at their first choice, are fully occupied. There has been a slow increase in the number of visitors to the marine areas of Hong Kong. Most of these people carry out in-water marine based activities like canoeing, snorkeling, swimming and diving. Safety vessels are sometimes part of the logistics required to support groups of participants. These boats need to be close to their groups. Keeping engines running is not a safe solution, they need to anchor to remain in position. Mooring buoys allow boats to attach in areas where normal anchoring would cause damage to sensitive fragile or delicate seabed. Observations of existing damage, usage and the collection of data suggest that many areas would benefit from the addition of moorings. The tried and proven Helix ground tackle with a small float and tie on ring has already been shown to be very suitable for Hong Kongs special coral areas. This system has been in use in the marine parks of Hong Kong for over 5 years and have contributed to a decrease of more than 80% in anchor damage in the areas they have been installed. This proposal seeks approval to install a total of 38 mooring buoys in the north-eastern and eastern waters of Hong Kong.

Introduction
The management of Marine Areas involves the periodic assessment of the current usage of any such area and modifying existing facilities to cater for any changes that may be occurring in usage. This is true in Marine Protected Areas (IUCN 1992) and in other areas that contain protected benthos or benthos that is soon to be protected. In the past, the AFCD, WWF and (more recently) the Kowloon Rotary Club have installed mooring buoys to prevent coral anchor damage at certain strategic locations within Hong Kongs marine parks. Follow up studies have shown that after the installation of these buoys, the anchor damage to corals at these locations was reduced by over 80%. It is also important to realize that areas with the buoys have attracted users to areas that would not have normally have been visited. The buoys mark coral areas allowing groups to explore previously unknown areas. This is particularly true for the four buoys installed by the Rotary Club in Hoi Ha Wan. The heavily used area of Coral Beach is seeing a drop in the number of visitors, with groups visiting the nearby Moon Island coral area instead. Many people did not know there were corals at Moon Island until the buoys were installed. There have been area usage studies carried out in Hong Kong with regard to the diving and snorkeling groups that frequent the wild marine areas of Hong Kong. In most cases the target areas for these groups allow for access from areas that can tolerate anchoring, particularly areas that drop off to deeper water (>15m) very quickly after the shore. However some of the frequented coastal areas of Hong Kong do contain corals that extend quite a way out from the shore and it is the corals in these areas that suffer from significant anchor damage. In the past, the inclusion of mooring buoys into areas has also meant the inclusion of unsightly concrete anchoring blocks as well. There are several drawbacks with using large concrete weights as the ground tackle for mooring buoys. These include the large footprint under the block, the degrading of the visual aesthetics of the area and the need for a large crane for deployment. The use of coral friendly HELIX sand screws solves these issues. Figure 1 shows the top part of a Helix anchor This, 20cm high section, is the only visible part of a 5 tonne holding sand screw. The alternative, cement blocks, is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 1. The top (visible part) of a typical Helix anchor. The main use of the moorings proposed in this document is to provide safety but not at the expense of the environment. Sometimes support boats are deployed to support swimmers, snorkelers and divers. These boats need to be tethered in, or very close to, the participants. It is

not safe to allow these boats to motor. They need to anchor. The concept is to allow this but not at the expense of the environment. The approved top of the mooring buoy is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. The typical mooring buoy (surface part) currently installed in the marine parks of
Hong Kong.

This document proposes to increase the number of mooring buoys located around Hong Kong and to place them in all major north-eastern marine recreational areas. A total of 38 are required. The area chosen contain most of the corals found in Hong Kong and most are frequented every weekend, during the summer months, by many visitors. The scientific data used to make the deployment decision is based upon the Western Coral Mapping Project carried out for AFCD in 2002.

The Mooring Buoy Design

The traditional concrete blocks are not compatible with coral areas since they need to be quite large and unsightly, in order to prevent movement. Any movement of an anchor block crushes the surrounding coral colonies. The photograph in Figure 3 shows this problem. Note that one of the concrete blocks is on a coral colony. This totally defeats the purpose of installing mooring buoys (to protect and save the corals).

Figure 3. The reason why concrete blocks should not be used as anchors for mooring buoys
(Photo taken in the Philippines).

The type of the mooring buoys used for this project should be the same as the established buoys already installed in the marine park. A photograph of the basic top is shown in Figure 2. For the existing buoys deployed in Hong Kongs marine parks, the design of the system employed followed the following criteria: i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. Small compact construction. Minimum damage during installation. Immovable ground tackle. Esthetically suitable for inclusion in a marine park. Reliable Easy and obvious to use. Easy to maintain. Will allow for the provision of a Rotary Club logo.

The result is the design shown in Figure 4. Basically a helix sand screw is connected to a simple surface buoy with a tie-on-ring for connection to a boat. This design has already proven itself for the mooring buoys in the Hoi Ha Wan and Tung Ping Chau Marine Parks. Currently the local residents, regular visitors, fishermen, divers, snorkelers and other small boat users are familiar with this design. Actually this design is not knew, it has been used at many locations around the world to provide anchoring facilities for boats in and around coral areas. The sand screw method of anchoring is not a new idea either. These special, strong and very efficient devices have been used since 1906 for anchoring light-ships, in the construction of floating marinas and to provide hurricane-proof mooring facilities for pleasure boats.

Appendix A contains the suggested location of the additional mooring buoys proposed in this document. Appendix B contains the general information on Helix anchors.

Buoy Spherical plastic float with stainless steel eye on the top to tie off to. The floats are size and colour coded:
Small green small boats Medium blue / yellow scientific boats

Polypropylene Rope Positive buoyant, left hand wound rope with a 10mm diameter and white in colour. The breaking strain is 1800 kg. The rope was joined with steel clamps.

Embedment Anchor. (HELIX) Either a two-screw, 10 x 8inch, or three screw, 10 x 8 x 6 inch, configured anchor fitted with one extension was installed. This anchor is made in USA and consists of a hot dipped galvanized steel shaft and helical screws. It has a holding capacity of up to 5000 kg. Figure 4. Details of the existing mooring buoy system installed in Hong Kongs Marine Parks.

When used in coral areas, the Helix sand screw has a very small foot-print during installation, less than 625cm2 that reduces to 20cm2 once installed. The average holding of a Helix sand screw can be measured during installation and we usually install them to about 5 tonnes holding. This is equivalent to the holding power of a 2.5m x 2.5m x 2.5m (L x W x H) cement block.

Installation
The installation of the system is very straightforward and involves the use of underwater hydraulics. A large speedboat provides the surface support for the two surface and two diver team required to carry out the necessary works. There is no need for a crane or a large working barge. In the past considerable damage has been done to areas by work barges and their need to anchor in the work area in order to carry out the necessary works. The anchors rip up and destroy the coral areas. Figure 5. shows the underwater section of what is essentially a 9 tonne-torque underwater screwdriver used to wind the Helix sand screw into the sand.

Figure 5. The 9 tonne torque underwater hydraulic screw driver. Underwater the unit is connected to the top of a Helix sand screw and the unit slowly winds the anchor into the sand. Figures 6 and 7 show this process.

Figure 6. The hydraulic screwdriver in use underwater.

Figure 7. The Helix sand screw being installed. The final result is shown in Figure 8. Only a small metal square section sits above the sand. Note that it is possible to carefully move any corals away from the Helix during installation and move them back to their original location after the installation has been completed.

Figure 7. The final result; 5 tonnes holding without the big cement block. The installation equipment uses a special hydraulic liquid pump to provide the force needed to turn the driver. The hydraulic oil we use is environmentally friendly synthetic oil in case some is accidentally lost during the coupling and un-coupling of the equipment. Four Helix require about 2~3 days to prepare for installation, then two full days on the water to get them in the correct locations.

4. Discussion

With the expanding population of Hong Kong and the associated development that progress brings, there is going to be a lot more pressure on the local terrestrial and marine recreational environments. The general public interest being generated about matters environmental is encouraging more people to visit the natural areas of Hong Kong. Management towards sustainable use of recreational areas is needed to preserve the animals and other organisms in Hong Kongs diverse marine environment. These areas also need to provide for the people using them. Sensible, practical management has a crucial role in organizing and regulating activities in these areas. Area zoning, public awareness, mooring buoys, artificial reefs, etc., are all management tools that can be used to enhance and enforce. Overuse does not mean over-abuse. (Australian Marine Parks Committee slogan). This concept is very important in the small area of Hong Kong with the 6.9 million possible visitors that live here. The addition of mooring buoys will further enhance the management ability of the Authority. The number of users to an area can be somewhat controlled using existing legislation involving protected species. It is unlawful to knowingly anchor in a coral area since it damages this protected species. The cost quoted for this project includes all of the necessary work and equipment to provide and install these buoys. Five years maintenance and background monitoring surveys are included. It is very important to measure the effectiveness of any facility placed into a marine protected area. This way justification for these buoys and information regarding their effectiveness may be established. The information is also useful as a record. For these buoys, the anchor damage in the area, will be measured and compared before and after the installation. The report will be presented to the sponsor and copied to the Hong Kong (SAR) Government Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Finally Appendix D shows some general photographs of anchor damage.

Appendix A1 The Key Map for the individual maps in Appendix A2& A3.

Appendix A2 Map of the North-eastern Waters showing the locations of the

mooring buoys.

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Appendix A3 Map of the Eastern Waters showing the locations of the mooring
buoys.

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Appendix B The Helix Sand-screw Anchoring System.

A Brief Technical Description of the Helix anchors suitability for use in coral areas in Hong Kong.
The Helix Anchoring System is a worldwide tried and proven method of anchoring in ecologically sensitive marine areas. The Helix system offers many unique advantages over the traditional methods of using concrete blocks or permanently drilled anchors in rock or other hard substrata found in coral areas.

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These advantages include: 1. Easy to install. The helix anchor can be installed from a small (<4m) boat with a draught of less than 30cm. Weighted anchors require the use of a barge and crane that is able to lift the weight of the block. The draught of such vessels may be several metres when taking the leaning factor when the weight is being lowered to the seabed. Due to the high turbidity of the Hong Kong waters, most of the coral areas are in shallow water and may not have the necessary depth to carry out the anchor installation without damaging the corals. A small footprint with a large holding capacity. Traditional concrete or rock weighted ground tackle requires large areas of the seabed to be covered by the weight material. For example a 5-ton concrete anchor requires almost a 2m2 area of seabed to be consumed by the anchor after installation. This means that 2m2 of seabed area will be lost and all sessile benthic animals residing there will be killed. A 5-ton helix anchor only requires minimal disturbance to an area of 30cm diameter of the seabed during installation, and only a 4cm2 area of the seabed after the installation. Normal installation procedure allows for the temporary relocation of any sessile benthos during the installation time, and possible relocation back to the original location after the installation. This is not possible for concrete or rock anchors. Easy relocation / coral area temporary installation. To relocate the weighted anchor system requires a barge with a crane capable of lifting the weight free from the seabed. In cases where the weight has sunk into the seabed as is the normal case in Hong Kong, this may be many more times the weight of the actual anchor. Such large vessels are normally not able to operate in shallow waters without striking the seabed. Rock drilled ground tackle does not able to be relocated and new drilling is required. Helix anchors used in coral areas are designed to be temporary installations and therefore can simply be unscrewed and placed in a new location very easily. This allows for the simple relocation of the anchor as the coral area boundary changes. No horizontal movement. The holding capacity of a weighted anchor does not take into consideration the force needed for horizontal movement over the seabed. This so called dragging force is usually much less than the anchor holding capacity. This makes them very unsuitable for coral areas since any horizontal movement or dragging of a block of cement or rock will damage this sensitive area. By virtue of their design, Helix anchors cannot move horizontally and their vertical holding capacity is measured during the installation. Centimeter accuracy when it comes to location. Divers in the water can safely install the Helix anchor on the seabed with centimeter accuracy. This is very important to ensure the anchor does not damage any coral areas during the installation. Since all of Hong Kongs coral areas do not stop abruptly but rather thin out at their perimeters, most of the anchors will need to be installed amongst coral colonies. Such accurate placement would be very difficult, if not impossible, with large weighted blocks of concrete or stone. Aesthetically more acceptable. A correctly installed Helix anchor has either only the connected buoy-rope showing or a 4cm2 section of steel showing. Such a small intrusion

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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provides a minimal visual impact on the surrounding area. This cannot be said for a large (usually over one metre square) concrete block.

Apart from these advantages, the Helix system is Hurricane-tested, versatile, has a holding power that cannot be equaled by traditional deadweight or mushroom anchors and is friendly to marine bottom environments. They have been exclusively in the oil industry for over 20 years. For this reason several American marine insurance agencies now offer boat insurance premium discounts (up to 15%) to boat owners using Helix anchors as mooring anchors.

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Appendix C A possible information sheet for distribution to the general public

regarding the use of the mooring buoys.

Public mooring buoys have been installed in Hong Kongs Marine Parks to allow small boats to moor close to some of the coral areas in the parks. These buoys are located outside the designated anchor areas. Below is some important information regarding the use of the buoys.

The colour code scheme:

Small Size Green Buoy. This buoy is for small boats not longer than 8.5m long. Priority is given to non-powered vessels and canoes. Medium Size Blue & Green Buoy. This buoy is for small boats not longer than 10m long. There are no priority vessels for this buoy. Medium Size Blue & Yellow Buoy. This buoy is for small boats not longer than 10m long. Priority is given to research & university vessels. Medium Size Blue Buoy with a Yellow Band. This buoy is for small boats not longer than 10m long. Priority is given to AFCD vessels.

How to tie to a mooring buoy:

Lanyard Steel Ring

Buoy

Tie a lanyard from the boat to the steel ring Located on the top of the buoy. Make sure that the knot is suitable (bowline) and that the lanyard rope is long enough: 1m long for vessels 5m or less. 3-5m long for vessels 5m to 10m long.

You are advised that you use the buoys entirely at your own risk. Neither the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) or any other party or institution can be held liable for any injury or damage resulting from any action or use of the buoys or their anchoring system.

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Chinese version of the information leaflet.

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Appendix D Selected photographs.

Plate 1. Anchor damage in

the making. Photo taken at Ung Kong Wan (2001).

anchoring buoys using cement blocks. Note the coral under the LHS. This was stopped shortly after it started.

Plate 2. Early trials of

Plate 3. Installing the

HELIX anchor underwater. Two divers are involved for safety reasons.

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Plate 4. Winding in a HELIX

anchor at Hoi Ha Wan.

Plate 5. Attaching a

temporary marker to an installed HELIX.

Plate 6. The final result. A

HELIX at Gruff Head in Hoi Ha Wan.

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Plate 7. A piece of coral

broken off by an anchor. Unless coral sections like these are re-attached, they will roll and breakup over time.

Plate 8. The anchor dragged

right through the centre of this photograph ripping apart everything it touched.

Plate 9. Another smashed

colony.

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Plate 10. The anchor

responsible for this had a chain attached. Most of the coral fingers on one side were ripped off.

Plate 11. One can only guess at the damage caused if an anchor is placed into this area. This photo was taken in a totally unprotected area at the southern end of Kat O. We propose to place a buoy to protect this area.

Plate 12. A colony of black

coral. In Hong Kong some of our coral areas also contain this very rare and protected species. Anchors rip them up.

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