Our seahorse conservation work
SEA LIFE is a global leader in seahorse conservation, having successfully bred 15 different species since 2015 many of which are threatened in the wild. Among these are rare species like the Indonesian zebra snouted and the hedgehog seahorse. These breeding programmes are vital for safeguarding seahorse populations and are part of SEA LIFE's broader mission to protect marine biodiversity.
Saving the Endangered Sydney Seahorse
In Australia, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is spearheading the recovery of the endangered White’s Seahorse (Hippocampus whitei), whose numbers have declined sharply. Working with key partners, the team collects healthy, pregnant pairs from the wild, rears their young, and releases them back into their natural habitat. To support the species’ long-term survival, 12 artificial habitat cages known as ‘Seahorse Hotels’ have been installed in Sydney Harbour. These structures mimic natural habitats and help promote breeding and population recovery, with released seahorses being tracked for up to 12 months.
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Releasing baby seahorses!
A herd of babies each smaller than a grain of rice emerged from their dads’ pouches in the final months of 2020, with a few dozen arriving just two days before the new year rolled around. Their arrival marks a successful start to the second year of the White’s Seahorse Conservation Breeding Program initiated by SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Fisheries NSW and the University of Technology Sydney.
Seahorse Conservation across the UK
In the UK, SEA LIFE supported the Community Seagrass Initiative, a citizen science project led by the National Marine Aquarium and funded by the National Lottery. From 2015 to 2017, over 400 divers surveyed 500 hectares of seagrass beds along the south coast of England, which are vital nursery habitats for seahorses and numerous commercially important fish species. Seagrass beds, declining globally at 7% per year, also serve as powerful carbon sinks. Insights from this initiative contributed to the establishment of several Marine Conservation Zones and highlighted the critical role of seagrass in marine ecosystems.
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