Impacts of cruise ship anchoring during COVID-19: Management failures and lessons learnt.

The Government of Barbados welcomed cruise ships during the early COVID-19 period of 2020, allowing them to seek safe harbour at a time when many countries were turning them away. A total of 28 cruise ships were given unprecedented permission to anchor along the west and south coasts of the island during this period (1 March – 1 September 2020). This study examines the 132 anchoring events of these cruise ships, using automatic identification system (AIS) data to determine anchored locations and track vessel swing at anchor in relation to sensitive coral-rich habitat.