Ships have been sailing the world's oceans for hundreds of years, dropping anchor anywhere they stop for any length of time. Anchors keep the ships from drifting away while at port, and we've never put much thought into what marks they left at the bottom of the bay. But ships today are different from what we envision as "sailing." Massive container ships that are bigger than aircraft carriers have anchors that strain credulity. A container ship anchor weights between 5,000 and 30,000 pounds, and rely on chains with 3-foot links weighing 200 to 500 pound each!
It's not just those heavy anchors that damage the sea floor. Those huge chains are laid out a long way against the sea bed, but are still no match for the heavy ship drifting. Get a look at the effects this may have on ocean floors and their ecosystems at Real Clear Science.
(Image credit: Bahnfrend)
#marineecosystem #ocean #oceanfloor #anchor
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