Monthly Archives

November 2012

Seahorse Talk at Falmpouth Aquarium

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The Seahorse Trust talk was a huge success at Falmouth Aquarium ( http://www.facebook.com/falmouthaquarium ) on the 26th November, despite the awful weather and flooded roads, over 40 people attended! Lots of Exexter University, Falmouth Marine School students and members of the public attended, it was a great turn out. The aim was to educate the public on the importance of preserving habitats that seahorses are found in, the prime example being seagrass beds, protection of their home means protecting them as a species. The Seahorse Tagging project was also discussed and how the findings have been insightful in their ecology and reproduction. There were many questions and donations given to this important charity – hopefully a talk that will be repeated in the future! – Lauren Timson

Many thanks to Lauren for her hard work

The 4th Studland Bay Conservation and Recreational Activity Working Group Meeting

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The Seahorse Trust attended the 4th Studland Bay Conservation and Recreational Activity Working Group Meeting on Monday in Poole, Dorset, to discuss the Draft MAIA Seagrass report. [MAIA means Marine Protected Areas in the Atlantic Arc) which was put together by Dr Emma Jackson and Dr Ken Collins. It is a 261 page comprehensive report on seagrass habitats and the effects on them and highlights Studland bay as an example.

On the whole it was a very successful meeting despite the disruptive, rude attitude of a few boat owners and it lays the way forward for Studland to become a Marine Protected Zone and for Environmentally Friendly Moorings (EFM’s) to be trialled in the bay. The report highlighted the problems facing the seagrass, especially at Studland which they showed categorically is fragmenting as the trust has observed and been reporting for years now. We have finally been vindicated in our observations and this report has shown the degradation and fragmentation of the seagrass meadow, especially since 2008.

Next year we should know for sure if Studland is to become a Marine Protected Zone (MPZ); it has all the attributes to make it one, and at that stage the hard work of coordinating a diverse group of stakeholders will come into place, all of whom have varying needs and wants.

Here at the trust we feel it is possible to address everyone’s needs and still allow the bay to be used by many boats with the installation of EFM’s. There is to be a public consultation period about making Studland an MPZ, so please let the authorities know your views when this starts. We will report where and when this happens as soon as we know.

We would like to thank everyone for their amazing support over Studland and this proves that people power can and will make a difference in the protection of our natural world.

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Amazing artwork by 7 year old Maria
28-11-2012

Here at the trust we are always pleased to receive feedback from seahorse fans from all around the world and this morning we received this amazing picture by 7 year old Maria from Glasgow, Scotland. As well as this colourful picture of seahorses we also received a seahorse shaped notebook handmade by Maria and she has kindly saved up her birthday money and sent us £10 towards our work.

Without the amazing support by seahorse fans like Maria we could not do our work and we would like to thank her for thinking of the seahorses when she got her birthday money. We will make sure her money will go towards the work we do in conserving British seahorses, which are also found around Scotland. Earlier this year both types of seahorse, the Spiny and the Short Snouted were protected in Scotland which the trust helped to put into place.

Thank you Maria for your amazing support.

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