Moorings are a common infrastructure used to secure vessels in shallow water and are globally widespread across estuaries. Most mooring designs cause damage to marine habitat. There are alternatives to current designs that are less destructive, however very few of these ‘environmentally friendly’ moorings (EFMs) are in use. We are investigating the reasons behind this lack of uptake through a multi-disciplinary research program that examines engineering, environmental and socioeconomic questions. Preliminary results suggests that EFMs may perform better in extreme conditions compared to traditional chain moorings but have different servicing requirements; ecological changes due to EFMs may be influenced by season, location and time since deployment and mooring owners are an older, male demographic that is sensitive to safety concerns and price.