Activists damage habitat in Seattle bay during Shell oil protests

Activists protest the Shell Oil Company's drilling rig Polar Pioneer which is parked at Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle, Washington May 16, 2015. REUTERS/Jason Redmond

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Environmental activists who fanned out in small boats across a Seattle bay over the weekend in a protest over Royal Dutch Shell 's plans for Arctic oil exploration in the have damaged "precious habitat" on the sea floor, a state official said on Friday.

Cables used to moor a 4,000 square foot (370 square metre) floating barge dubbed "The People's Platform" to the floor of Elliott Bay became wrapped around an old steel piling and pulled it over, disturbing aquatic habitat, Department of Natural Resources spokesman Joe Smillie said.