FROM CORONETS TO CURLED TAILS: SEAHORSES ARE THE NEW KINGS OF CONSERVATION

by Chris Mantegna

In May of this year, the largest prize for animal conservationists, the Indianapolis Prize, went to Project Seahorse’s Amanda Vincent, Ph.D. Vincent is the first marine conservationist awarded since the prize’s inception in 2006, proving that the diminutive seahorse is more than a cool logo for habitat conservation, but a species worth conservation in its own right.

Seahorses are the unsung heroes of habitat conservation. They are different from any other fish- from their dexterous tails to their unique coronets (bony outgrowth that resembles a crown), and that is why they make an excellent flagship species for seagrasses, mangroves, and coral reef conservation efforts. There are over 40 types of seahorses and at least a quarter of them are vulnerable to extinction. According to the two largest databases for species protection and preservation, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), almost half of all identified seahorses are data deficient.

While the exact numbers of identified species and their statuses fluctuate, at least two species of seahorse have been listed as endangered. That may sound discouraging, but in the last few weeks a brand-new species of seahorse, Hippocampus nalu, was discovered off the coast of South Africa- the first in this area of the world. This is exciting and raises more opportunities for research since the habitat is unique for this pygmy seahorse.

Between the Indianapolis Prize and the discovery of a new species, seahorses are clearly winning 2020, but it hasn’t always been this way. Seahorses have captured our whimsy as dried souvenirs from beach vacations or less innocuously as the subject of wicker wall decorations in beachfront hotels. Species range in size from smaller than a dried bean to over a foot long, and you can see at least two dozen samples in University of Washington’s Burke Museum ichthyology collection. We need to act on our fascination if we are to protect them from their vulnerable status in the IUCN.

Seahorses have captured imaginations for generations because of their reproductive differences and unique body shape, but there is still so much to learn. Most of what we knew about seahorses came from private aquarists until organizations like Project Seahorse have taken over as subject matter experts. They work to bring seahorses center stage in conservation movements by directly addressing the impact of bottom trawl fishing and the lucrative markets for dried seahorses for medicinal purposes in countries like China and the Philippines. Dr. Vincent was the driving force to get seahorses added to CITES, and since then has built relationships with communities to ensure their continued success as we synthesize old customs with new realities.

Demanding change to centuries-old customs with scientific righteousness will get you nowhere, so Project Seahorse and iSeahorse, the citizen science arm of Project Seahorse, have worked extensively with local communities to ensure sustainable harvesting and the ethical sale of seahorses. This supports local fisheries, a valuable part of the ecosystem as well. One outcome of this partnership has been the creation of 35no-take marine protected areas (MPA) in Danajon Bank, a coral reef system off the coast of the Philippines where conservation efforts and training now occur. The Indianapolis Prize awards $250,000 and that award will go to maintaining those MPAs, supporting expanding research, and iSeahorse.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a master aquarist to participate in iSeahorse as the program was designed to engage the curiosity of the public while making major contributions to the databank of information about seahorse behavior and habitat. The program can be accessed via website or app and allows participants to log observations or upload photographs of seahorse encounters. The website provides tips and best practices for photographing seahorses in their habitat. You do not need to be a scientist or a diver to participate, you only need a snorkel and a swimsuit. To date, participants in iSeahorse have logged over 6000 individual sightings, and many of those locations led scientists to expanding seahorse habitat range and behavior patterns.

The next time you are feeling adventurous in the waters around the Puget Sound, where pipefishes (a seahorse relative) can be found, or you are on a beach vacation with a bit of downtime- download the app and don a snorkel. Keep your eyes open for these camouflage experts and you may get lucky enough to spot them lighting up the seagrasses with color changes and flirtatious swimming in their courting ritual.