Our latest featured observation has been contributed by melitab who was diving in the Adriatic Sea in Italy. Situated in the northeastern-most corner of the country, the coastal areas of Italy’s Fruili-Venezia Guilia region have long been the crossroads of western civilization, with ports having been utilized since pre-Roman times. Apparently in addition to being a boon for trade by humans, the area is also home to seahorses.

Melita took this great photo of the long-snout seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus, on a dive back in March. Although the species inhabits the Mediterannean – one of the biggest diving attractions and most studied bodies of water in the world, we still know very little about how wild populations of the long-snouted seahorse are faring. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists this seahorse as Data Deficient.

Along with our partners, Project Seahorse is making it a priority to ensure we have enough information to perform proper conservation assessments of all seahorse species. We are currently in the test phase of a trends monitoring program that should allow us to understand the threats facing these creatures better. If you or anyone you know dives in a particular region regularly and is interesting in contributing to this endeavor please do let us know.

Thanks to Melita for her contribution to seahorse research and conservation!!