White’s Seahorse (Hippocampus whitei), is endemic to the east coast of Australia. These unique animals rely on habitats such as Posidonia meadows, sponge gardens and kelp. Increasingly, White’s Seahorse use artificial habitats such as swimming nets, discarded fish traps and other debris.

In this exciting new project, we will be giving both the seahorses and their habitat a helping hand

White’s seahorse populations have declined significantly over the past decade, which resulted in them being listed as Endangered under the NSW Fisheries Management Act in 2019.

In 2020 this species was also listed as Endangered on the Commonwealth EPBC Act.

The species is also listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The population declines in the White’s seahorse have been attributed to the loss of their natural habitats in the central NSW region, such as Posidonia australis meadows.

The recovery of this Endangered seahorse is reliant on natural habitats recovering or artificial habitats being installed to provide them with food and shelter.

Enter ‘Seahorse Hotels’

‘Seahorse Hotels’ are a creative conservation method being used to assist the recovery of White’s Seahorse populations. 

The Hotels are purpose-designed artificial habitat units that are made out of biodegradable materials.

These structures mimic discarded fish traps, which we know the seahorses use as a makeshift home.

Over time, the hotels become covered in marine organisms like sponges, soft corals and seaweed which provide shelter and food to the seahorses. Seahorse Hotels are populated with captive bred seahorses from the Sydney Seahorse breeding project at SEA Life Sydney Aquarium, boosting local populations.

We are combining the use of Seahorse Hotels with restoration of Posidonia, giving seahorses the best chance while we work on the recovery of their natural habitats.

We will need Storm Squad volunteers to assist with this project in Sydney, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens – stay tuned! 

the Team

Prof Adriana Vergés

Adriana is a marine ecologist based at UNSW Australia and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science. She hails from the Mediterranean, where she grew up surrounded by lush meadows of Posidonia oceanica, the only Posidonia species found outside of Australia. She’s one of the lead investigators of sister-project Operation Crayweed, which is restoring another important species, crayweed, in Sydney reefs.

Prof David Booth

David Booth a Professor of Marine Ecology in the School of Life Sciences at UTS, David has published more than 180 papers about reef-fish ecology, climate change and other anthropogenic impacts on fishes and fisheries, in the Caribbean, Hawaii, and the Great Barrier Reef. He has spent nearly two decades monitoring the migration of tropical fish down the East Australian Current, past Sydney. 

Dr David Harasti

David Harasti is a Senior Research Scientist based at the Port Stephens Fisheries Institute. He is a marine biologist with over 20 years experience working on threatened marine species and marine biodiversity. David previously worked in threatened species management, focusing on recovery plans for species such as grey nurse, great white sharks and black cod, before commencing research on evaluation of Marine Protected Areas in 2008.

Clayton Mead

Clayton is a research assistant at UNSW and has a background in marine science and underwater restoration. He assisted with Operation Posidonia as a volunteer during his undergraduate studies, and is passionate about the conservation of marine habitats. He has also worked in marine education and outreach programs and is a keen diver and snorkeler, having grown up exploring the NSW coastline.

Laura Simmons 

Laura Simmons is the Displays Curator at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium where she ensures the highest standards of care and welfare of all animals in the aquarium as well as support and spearhead conservation initiatives. Laura is a self-proclaimed “aquarium nerd” with 30 years experience in the global aquarium industry.

Derrick Cruz

Derrick grew up snorkeling and exploring the estuaries and seagrass meadows of NSW. He is now a passionate fish ecologist and holds particular interests in range-shifting species, habitat restoration and the enhancement of wild fisheries. He has worked with DPI and UNSW on various field-intensive projects and enjoys promoting sustainable practices to younger generations.

Dr Kate Dunn

Kate is a senior lecturer at UNSW Sydney. Kate’s research investigates experimental 3D Printing, Digital Fabrication and Robotics with a focus on the development of new and sustainable materials for digital fabrication. 

Kate and her team are helping us design and fabricate brand new Seahorse Hotels, with a focus on environmentally friendly materials and methods.

Mitchell Brennan

Mitchell is responsible for the care and husbandry of a large variety of marine and freshwater exhibits and animals at SEALIFE Sydney. Mitchel leads SEALIFE’s White’s Seahorse Conservation Project, including operational tasks, project management and organisation. Mitch is also working on his Masters degree at UTS focussing on recovery and conservation of White’s Seahorse.

Operation Posidonia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Country on which we conduct our research. We recognise their continuing connection to the land and waters, and thank them for protecting the coastline and its ecosystems for many generations. We extend these respects to Elders past and present, and to all First Nations people.