Latest news with #seahorses
The Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
‘It's spectacular': volunteer Dorset divers see summer of surging seahorses
The divers emerged from the water smiling with satisfaction. They had found what they were looking for in the undersea meadows off the south coast of England. 'Seahorses are tricky to spot,' said Mark Fox. 'The seagrass sways and they blend into it pretty well. It helps if it's sunny and not too choppy but you have to get your eye in. When you see them, it's brilliant.' Fox is one of a band of volunteers (he is a semi-retired painter and decorator) helping survey the creatures that live in Studland Bay. Over the last two decades conservationists have worked hard to make conditions in the Dorset bay better for the seagrass – and thus the seahorses – including introducing almost 100 'eco moorings' that do not harm the habitat. Coming across a seahorse here used to be a rare event but this summer the divers have seen a surge in numbers, with 33 seahorses counted in one survey. 'It's spectacular to see so many seahorses here,' said Ken Collins, an emeritus fellow at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton. Collins has worked on globally important projects such as helping protect the water around the Galápagos Islands but is now a key member of the volunteer team monitoring the seahorses for the charity the Seahorse Trust. Studland Bay is a key spot in the UK for two species, the spiny seahorse and the short-snouted seahorse. The trust launched the Studland Seahorse Project in 2008 to try to boost help boost numbers and in 2019 the bay was designated a marine conservation zone. But a problem for the seagrass and seahorses is that the bay is also a fine area for boats to shelter in. 'And anchors tear out the roots of seagrass,' said Collins. 'It takes years to grow back.' Collins said there had been tension over the years with 'anti-conservationists', some with 'Trump-like views', who seemed to think the champions of the seahorses were intent on driving the boaters away. Relations have improved since the Studland Bay Marine Partnership was created in 2021, consisting of the Seahorse Trust, academics, boating organisations, community groups and local businesses. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Funds were provided from the UK government and a Hampshire company that runs marinas, Boatfolk, to help set up 87 eco moorings, which are attached to the Studland Bay seabed without scouring it. Bare patches in the seagrass are starting to grow back. 'It's a long process but we're getting there,' said Collins. This week the survey team set up camp on a picnic bench at Joe's Cafe on South Beach before their dive. Volunteers, including a builder, a student and a usually desk-bound marine habitat project manager, hauled on wetsuits and scuba gear. Collins, not as young as he was, was not too proud to ask one of the younger divers to help zip him into his wetsuit. Jenny Mallinson, who used to run the aquarium at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, briefed the divers: when you spot a seahorse, don't take your eye off it or you will lose it; take a picture of the whole body so that the team can later try to identify if it is male or female; most importantly, don't distress the seahorses – if their colour darkens or they turn away, it's a sign that they are not happy and you should move away. Over the next three and half hours, three pairs of divers combed the seagrass, which lies about 100 metres out and 2 metres down and reported back to Mallinson. The total wasn't as dramatic as earlier this month but they saw seven, all spiny seahorses. Neil Garrick-Maidment, the executive director and founder of the Seahorse Trust, said they used to be pleased to spot one or two seahorses and often found none. 'Seven is brilliant. It is fantastic to start seeing seahorses back in Studland Bay. It has been an incredible team effort.'
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
Rare seahorse numbers reach post-pandemic high
Conservationists working to protect a population of seahorses off the Dorset coast have counted the highest number of the creatures since the Covid pandemic. The absence of boats and people in Studland Bay during lockdown meant seahorse numbers peaked in 2020 but quickly diminished when restrictions were eased. Volunteers regularly monitor the habitat to assess the impact of eco-moorings, which have been installed to stop boat anchors damaging the seagrass habitat. The Seahorse Trust said the latest survey had recorded 17 of the creatures on the seabed. Neil Garrick-Maidment of the Seahorse Trust said: "It is fantastic news that we found so many. "Half were males and most of them were pregnant, so it shows the eco-moorings are working. "There is still a long way to go in protecting this amazing site, and the seahorses on it, but we are going in the right direction." Seahorses are legally protected by law, and anyone looking for them - either snorkelling or diving - requires a licence. Immediately after the Covid lockdown, one official dive counted 21 seahorses. Mr Garrick-Maidment said: "We worked out that the site was holding 46 seahorses then but sadly, within weeks of lockdown unlocking, the seahorses were gone." The eco-moorings installed by the Seahorse Trust, Boatfolk and the Studland Bay Marine Partnership cost about £100,000 a year to maintain. Boat users pay £7.50 to moor there for four hours, or £15 for 24 hours, or £150 for a seasonal pass. There is also an option to pay more to help support the conservation work. The trust is also appealing for donations to install more moorings. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Breeding seahorses delay harbour wall repairs Giant seahorse find 'one of biggest ever recorded' Eco-moorings to protect seahorses set to double The Seahorse Trust Boatfolk - eco-mooring
BBC News
04-07-2025
- BBC News
Seahorse numbers in Studland Bay reach post-pandemic high
Conservationists working to protect a population of seahorses off the Dorset coast have counted the highest number of the creatures since the Covid absence of boats and people in Studland Bay during lockdown meant seahorse numbers peaked in 2020 but quickly diminished when restrictions were regularly monitor the habitat to assess the impact of eco-moorings, which have been installed to stop boat anchors damaging the seagrass Seahorse Trust said the latest survey had recorded 17 of the creatures on the seabed. Neil Garrick-Maidment of the Seahorse Trust said: "It is fantastic news that we found so many. "Half were males and most of them were pregnant, so it shows the eco-moorings are working."There is still a long way to go in protecting this amazing site, and the seahorses on it, but we are going in the right direction."Seahorses are legally protected by law, and anyone looking for them - either snorkelling or diving - requires a after the Covid lockdown, one official dive counted 21 seahorses. Mr Garrick-Maidment said: "We worked out that the site was holding 46 seahorses then but sadly, within weeks of lockdown unlocking, the seahorses were gone."The eco-moorings installed by the Seahorse Trust, Boatfolk and the Studland Bay Marine Partnership cost about £100,000 a year to users pay £7.50 to moor there for four hours, or £15 for 24 hours, or £150 for a seasonal pass. There is also an option to pay more to help support the conservation trust is also appealing for donations to install more moorings. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Investigation uncovers huge smuggling network with shocking cargo: 'What we're seeing is just the tip of the iceberg'
They might look like underwater fairy tale creatures, but seahorses are being trafficked by the millions, and most people are unaware of this. A recent study uncovered a huge global smuggling network that's quietly stripping them from the ocean. The CBC reports that a study published in Conservation Biology found that nearly 5 million seahorses were seized by authorities between 2010 and 2021, across 62 countries, worth around $29 million. And that's just what got intercepted. "The nearly 300 seizures we analyzed were based only on online records and voluntary disclosures including government notices and news stories. This means that what we're seeing is just the tip of the iceberg," said Sarah Foster, lead author and researcher at the University of British Columbia's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, per CBC. Most dried seahorses are used in traditional medicine, especially in China and Hong Kong. Some also turn up in Canada, sold in shops and online. Researchers uncovered complex smuggling routes. Some seahorses were hidden in luggage. Larger shipments moved by sea — often packed with other trafficked wildlife like shark fins, pangolin scales, and ivory. One shipment took a bizarre route: West Africa to Peru to Vietnam to China. Seahorses may be tiny, but they play a big role in keeping marine ecosystems balanced. Take them out, and the food chain starts to wobble. Worse, they're usually harvested through bottom trawling, a destructive fishing method that drags massive nets across the seafloor. "By the time they've pulled these nets out of the water, everything is already dead," said Max Valentine, campaign director at Oceana, per CBC. She continued, "So we've lost all of that biomass, all of those organisms from the environment." Valentine also shared that when she first learned about the "bombshell" seahorse smuggling study, she felt "shocked and appalled." Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Right now, 15 species are threatened — two critically endangered, 13 listed as vulnerable, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In wildlife smuggling cases, sometimes the animals are introduced into the wild where they don't belong and become invasive, destroying the native species and ecosystems around them. This isn't just bad for marine life. Coastal communities rely on healthy oceans for food, jobs, and long-term survival. Seahorses are supposed to be protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, signed by 183 countries. It requires permits for legal trade, but those are hard to get, and many sidestep the process. "Most of this illegal trade is [from] people who are not catching them with the permits, or with the regulations in place," Valentine told CBC. Researchers say better global coordination and smarter enforcement, especially at ports, are key. There's hope. By exposing this "devastating harvest," the study could help protect seahorses and the ocean life that depends on them. Want to help? It's important to stay informed. Skip products made with marine life. Support smart ocean policies. And if you live near the coast, here's a guide to protecting marine biodiversity. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Breeding seahorses delay Weymouth harbour wall repairs
A colony of breeding seahorses is delaying work to repair a crumbling harbour to replace the walls around Weymouth Peninsula, Dorset, was due to begin in the winter but was halted due to "factors beyond the council's control".Now contractors must wait until the protected seahorses, which breed and raise their young in the nearby seagrass, move back into deeper is expected to take 10 to 12 months, with completion expected in "mid-2026". Inspections found the walls on the north east and north west side of the peninsula, which were built in 1977, were in "critical condition" and "at risk of failure".Dorset Council place services councillor Jon Andrews said: "Balancing economic progress with protecting what makes Dorset special isn't always easy, but it's a challenge we are determined to meet."Seahorses are special creatures and it's right that we do what we can to avoid disturbing them during their breeding season." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
