The new anchoring system is being tested at Porto Rafti, near Athens, according to multiple reports. It involves drilling about three metres into the seabed and securing an anchor structure that allows boats to attach via a floating buoy. The project is coordinated by Greece’s Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy.
Posidonia seagrass, which covers roughly 70 per cent of Greece's coastal seabed according to scientists, is classified by the European Union as a priority ecosystem. Maria Salomidi, a researcher at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), said the seagrass captures and stores carbon, produces oxygen, filters and purifies water, and supports biodiversity. Divers report widespread damage to the meadows caused by boat anchors, and the Greek Organisation for Natural Environment and Climate Change (OFYPEKA) describes anchoring as one of the most significant threats.
Greece has more than 13,000 kilometres of shoreline. In 2024, 251 Greek beaches have been declared closed to any kind of building, including sunbeds, umbrellas, and temporary wooden structures. The Greek Environment Ministry said the decision aims to strengthen protection of beaches of special aesthetic, geomorphological and environmental importance. The list of beaches included in the marine NATURA 2000 programme has been increased, subjecting them to a more stringent protection regime. In NATURA 2000 areas, transfer of use of the seashore and beach is not allowed, and interventions that could alter natural form or affect ecological functions are excluded.