Marinas are complex ecosystems that face constant environmental challenges. Years of boat traffic, organic debris, and sediment accumulation create a persistent problem that can quickly degrade water quality, reduce marina functionality, and impact the overall customer experience.
Low oxygen conditions slow the natural decomposition of muck by aerobic microorganisms, leading to an accumulation that can compromise water quality, create unpleasant odors, attract unwanted aquatic invasive species growth, and fuel harmful algal bloom proliferation in marinas. Not only is this an environmental and potential health concern, but it also impacts your marina business, decreasing aesthetic and functionality and driving slip renters and boaters away.
Mechanical dredging represents a traditional but flawed approach to marina muck removal. This labor-intensive process involves using heavy equipment like excavators, clamshell buckets, and suction dredges to physically remove accumulated sediment from water bottoms, creating massive disruption to aquatic ecosystems.
The financial and environmental costs are staggering, average cost per acre around $71,000, requiring extensive permitting, marina shutdowns, and complex waste disposal strategies.
Beyond the astronomical expenses, mechanical dredging causes significant environmental damage by destroying aquatic habitats, releasing trapped contaminants, creating water turbidity, and removing beneficial microorganisms. Moreover, the process provides only short-term relief, as organic sediment quickly begins to accumulate again, forcing marina owners into a costly and destructive maintenance cycle that fails to address the root causes of organic sediment buildup.
By dramatically increasing dissolved oxygen levels at the sediment-water interface, nanobubbles stimulate and accelerate the natural metabolic processes of beneficial aerobic bacteria, enabling these microorganisms to digest organic sediment continuously and efficiently. This innovative approach creates a self-sustaining restoration process that not only reduces muck accumulation but also improves overall water quality, reduces foul odors, and supports healthier aquatic environments—all without the massive equipment, extensive disruption, and high costs associated with traditional mechanical dredging methods.
Throughout the marina pilot, there was reduced algae in the water column and on the surface. The overall water clarity improved by over 3 feet in depth over the treatment period, noticed by slip owners in the marina. They also noticed more fish activity, visible especially near the nanobubble treatment discharge pipe.
The most notable improvement was seen when comparing the sediment hardness before and after nanobubble treatment. There was an overall improvement throughout the marina with an increased depth of one foot. This was attributed to reduced organic sediment or muck volumes and better bottom composition because of increased natural lake processes from nanobubble treatment.
Is your marina's capital reserve fund dominated by future dredging costs? Are you tired of facility closures that disappoint boaters and impact revenue? Moleaer's innovative nanobubble technology offers marina owners a game-changing alternative to traditional mechanical dredging.
Contact Moleaer today for a free assessment to calculate your potential savings and create a customized nanobubble solution for your marina. Let us help you break the expensive dredging cycle while improving your water quality and customer experience.