First-Ever Footage of Antarctic Anchor Damage Captured with SubC Imaging Camera
Above: Anchor chain striations captured on the Antarctic seafloor at Yankee Harbour using a SubC Rayfin camera.
New study uses SubC technology to expose overlooked marine impacts in polar regions
A new peer-reviewed study in Frontiers in Conservation Science, documents the first-ever video evidence of anchor and chain damage on the seafloor in Antarctica. Captured using SubC Imaging's Rayfin camera, the footage reveals how routine anchoring by vessels can disturb or destroy sensitive marine habitats in one of Earth’s most protected environments.
Led by ocean conservation nonprofit KOLOSSAL, the study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Marine Institute at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA), and the University of Auckland. SubC Imaging supplied the imaging hardware used during four exploratory expeditions to Antarctica in 2022–2023.
A Clearer Picture of an Overlooked Threat
The research team conducted underwater surveys at 36 sites across the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island during the 2022–2023 austral summer. SubC’s high-resolution video systems were used to capture 62 hours of 4K video of seafloor conditions close to the surface, midwater, and within one meter of the ocean floor, offering detailed views of both damage and undisturbed areas.
Above: More visible grooves in the Antarctic seafloor caused by anchor chain movement.
In Yankee Harbour, a commonly visited anchorage, researchers observed multiple instances of physical damage, including:
Crushed sponge colonies, including a near miss to three giant Antarctic volcano sponges, believed to be among the oldest animals on Earth (up to 15,000 years old)
Striations and grooves from anchor chain movement across the seafloor
Mud deposits and sediment displacement from anchor drop and retrieval
A stark absence of benthic biomass in damaged areas compared to nearby undisturbed zones
Nearby undisturbed areas, by contrast, showed thriving marine life, including sea stars, sea spiders, crinoids, dragonfish, Antarctic scallops, and three giant volcano sponges (Anoxycalyx joubini), believed to be among the oldest living animals on Earth, with lifespans up to 15,000 years.
While physical disturbance from anchoring has long been observed in tropical and temperate waters, this is the first time it's been directly recorded in polar habitats. The paper emphasizes that many Antarctic species are endemic, sessile, and extremely slow-growing, making them especially vulnerable to long-term disruption. In some seafloor habitats, recovery from mechanical damage can take more than a century.
Why it Matters
As sea ice continues to retreat, ships are entering previously inaccessible polar waters. During the 2022–2023 season alone, at least 195 vessels were recorded anchoring in Antarctic waters, many within depths less than 82.5 meters, home to some of the continent’s most fragile marine ecosystems.
Above: Undisturbed Antarctic seafloor captured by SubC Imaging’s Rayfin camera, showing a diverse benthic community including a bright orange Antarctic sun star.
Despite international protections under the Antarctic Treaty, anchoring remains largely unregulated. The study’s authors warn that damage caused by anchors and chains is often localized but long-lasting. In cold, high-latitude waters, recovery is likely to take decades or longer due to the slow-growing nature of Antarctic marine life.
Collaboration with Canadian and International Researchers
This research was made possible through a partnership that included the Fisheries and Marine Institute at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, which helped fund travel and facilitate research logistics. SubC Imaging contributed not only the Rayfin camera and lighting system but also remote technical support throughout the season, ensuring imaging success in one of the world’s most remote and challenging underwater environments.
“Our mission has always been to provide high-quality tools that help researchers, scientists, and operators better understand the underwater world,” said Chad Collett, CEO of SubC Imaging. “This study is a perfect example of how visual data can drive awareness of issues we don’t usually see, and need to.”
Call For Action
The study recommends several mitigation measures, including:
Creating a public database of anchorages using AIS tracking and ship logs
Restricting anchoring in ecologically sensitive areas
Encouraging dynamic positioning systems (DPS) in place of anchors
Establishing mooring points or designated “anchor zones” at high-traffic sites
With Antarctic sea ice reaching record lows in recent seasons, more vessels are gaining access to shallow, previously ice-covered waters, making the need for updated policies and conservation strategies even more urgent.
