WHITE'S SEAHORSE BREEDING PROJECT
The White’s Seahorse is an endangered species found locally in Sydney Harbour and in our waters between Jervis Bay and Queensland. The White’s Seahorse, also known as the Sydney Seahorse, is one of three Seahorse species endemic to Australia.
The natural home and habitat for these creatures are sponge gardens, seagrass meadows, and soft corals. In Sydney, there has been a massive seagrass decline over recent years, causing remaining Seahorse populations to rely on man-made structures for their habitat. This is leading to further displacement and dramatic population decline.
Scientists at the University of Technology Sydney are collaborating with organizations such as the NSW Department of Primary Industries and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and together have started to recover the White’s Seahorses by implementing a new breeding and conservation project.
In this critical program, Seahorse babies are being born into custom-built tanks at SEA LIFE. The male gives birth to up to 100-250 young at a time, and the juveniles are then carefully re-introduced into the harbour. They are observed weekly by a team of divers and a UTS master research student.
For more information on the White’s Seahorse Breeding Project and to donate, please visit: https://www.visitsealife.com/sydney/whats-inside/seahorse-breeding-program/.
The White’s Seahorse is an endangered species found locally in Sydney Harbour and in our waters between Jervis Bay and Queensland. The White’s Seahorse, also known as the Sydney Seahorse, is one of three Seahorse species endemic to Australia.
The natural home and habitat for these creatures are sponge gardens, seagrass meadows, and soft corals. In Sydney, there has been a massive seagrass decline over recent years, causing remaining Seahorse populations to rely on man-made structures for their habitat. This is leading to further displacement and dramatic population decline.
Scientists at the University of Technology Sydney are collaborating with organizations such as the NSW Department of Primary Industries and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and together have started to recover the White’s Seahorses by implementing a new breeding and conservation project.
In this critical program, Seahorse babies are being born into custom-built tanks at SEA LIFE. The male gives birth to up to 100-250 young at a time, and the juveniles are then carefully re-introduced into the harbour. They are observed weekly by a team of divers and a UTS master research student.
For more information on the White’s Seahorse Breeding Project and to donate, please visit: https://www.visitsealife.com/sydney/whats-inside/seahorse-breeding-program/.
