Seahorse Baby Boom in Dorset
Last updated 9/19/2008 6:04:09 PM
Seahorse Baby Boom in Dorset
Dorset is experiencing a baby boom - of seahorses.
Dorset Wildlife Trust has recorded repeated sightings of pregnant seahorses at Studland. Without better protection though the trust fears the boom might be short-lived.
Pregnant males of both types of seahorse found in British waters - the spiny and short snouted varieties have been spotted recently in Studland Bay. There have also been sightings of all six varieties of pipefish, a close relative of the seahorse.
They live happily because of large areas of eel grass which grow in the shallows of the bay. The females deposit their eggs in the male's pouch for fertilisation. The male then carries the young for two to four weeks.
Their happiness and attempts to increase their population size could be short-lived because Studland Bay is one of Dorset's most popular areas for boating. Boat anchors are dredging up the eelgrass, destroying the habitats upon which the seahorses depend.
Dorset Wildlife Trust's Marine Conservation Officer Peter Tinsley said, "This is probably the best site in the UK for seahorses and pipefish but there is a threat to the eelgrass meadows from the many boats that anchor there."
Find the full story on the BBC website
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