Page 101 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles

he moorings were taken to the sites on a through the pipe could be attached extremely those corals because we know when the moor-
securely – but re-bar at the top of the blocks is ings were placed.
Tcrane barge, whose use was donated by what is actually being used by the boats to tie
to the moorings. The Bonaire National Marine Park is always
BOPEC, (Bonaire’s oil transshipment company), interested in improving its mooring
and their precise placement was guided by The moorings serve a vital function, that of systems. The price was right, as all the materi-
Tom van ‘t Hof, initial Manager of the Bonaire protecting the coral reef while providing a als were recycled or donated, for our original
Marine Park, Assistant Marine Park Manager secure way for boats to stay in place. The moor- double-barrel moorings, but they were difficult
Eric Newton, Ranger Franklin Winklaar, and ings eliminate the need for anchors and the to produce and to put in place. The triple-con-
volunteer divers including Rik Lina, a resident chains that attach them to the boats. Anchors crete-block moorings were a simpler but more
artist, and Captain Don Stewart. damage any coral they may land upon, and time-consuming proposition: they were made
their chains transform swaths of reef into rocky on Bonaire, trucked to the Pier, and dropped
Fishing boats and yachts have traditionally sand with every swing of the vessel. Some- into the water, where Marine Park Rangers at-
used the harbour area of Bonaire, which thing else has happened with the moorings, tached them to lift bags and towed them into
lies between the marina and the Customs too: they have become mini artificial reefs. position. Since then, a new type of mooring
Pier. The fishing boats have used permanent The pipes make great habitats for tunicates system is being evaluated for use in the Bo-
moorings here for years. During the mid-1990’s, (sea squirts), crabs, damselfish, and the oc- naire National Marine Park. The Helix moorings
the Bonaire Marine Park was able to place casional moray. Blackbar Soldier fish gather in we are currently using are specifically designed
moorings in the area for the use of yachts. great numbers around some of the moorings, for Bonaire’s mixed substrate. The mooring
The yachts pay $10 per day for the use of the squeezing into the spaces between the blocks. itself is like a large screw with gaps in its spiral,
moorings and the moorings are maintained by Sergeant majors use many of the mooring and is literally screwed into the bottom. Helix
Harbour Village Marina through a contract with blocks for their nests: the females deposit eggs, moorings are much easier than the others to
STINAPA Bonaire/BNMP. While the original which look like purple dots on the block; the transport, but require some special machinery
55-gallon drums served well, dive boats be- males guard the eggs until they hatch. Most to install.
came larger and other moorings were needed. significantly, larval corals have settled on moor-
Concrete cubes were developed to be used ing blocks near the drop-off, and have grown
for moorings. Each mooring consists of three into coral heads. We know the maximum age of
one-meter concrete cubes. Many were molded
with a piece of PVC pipe through them – a line