Seahorses Project
A project for the protection and repopulation of seahorses in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto through new artificial habitats made of rock wool
In 2023, One Ocean Foundation—in collaboration with ROCKWOOL, local institutions, and with the scientific support of the University of Bari—launched a new project for the protection of seahorses. The aim is to provide a protective habitat and promote the repopulation of endemic seahorse species in the Taranto Sea.
The Mar Piccolo of Taranto is a shallow basin of the Ionian Sea and represents one of the lagoon environments with the highest vocation in Europe, as it hosts a great biodiversity of species, including seahorses. However, the seahorse population, initially estimated at several hundred thousand individuals, has experienced a dramatic decline since 2016. The causes of this event are uncertain and may be due to the species' ecology, structural and functional changes in the habitat, climate change, and the consequences of human activities such as pollution and fishing.
The two identified seahorse species, Hippocampus guttulatus and Hippocampus hippocampus, are the only ones present in the Mediterranean Sea. They primarily inhabit the infralittoral zone, in algae populations on rocks, seagrass meadows, and lagoons. Their conservation status is considered
“vulnerable” due to a demonstrated population decline. The main threats are habitat destruction, partly due to the construction of artificial structures near the coast, and overfishing.
The modules are designed to provide a suitable environment for seahorses, serving both as shelter and as a substrate for the development of a benthic community that forms the basis of their diet. Overall, the modules will offer an ideal substrate for the growth and development of seahorses and will be monitored to verify the establishment of colonies and the replicability of the initiative.
The project aims to create a protected area for the seahorses of the Mar Piccolo by using artificial reefs that will replicate the natural habitat to promote species repopulation, facilitating their reproduction in a controlled environment.
The project, carried out in collaboration with ROCKWOOL, local institutions, and with the scientific support of the University of Bari, involves the identification of three pilot areas: two in the second inlet of the Mar Piccolo and one in the first inlet. In these areas, artificial modules made of rock wool will be submerged, suitable for hosting meio and macro-benthic communities (e.g., sponges), as they are made of materials highly compatible with natural environments.
The modules are designed to provide a suitable environment for seahorses, serving both as shelter and as a substrate for the development of a benthic community that forms the basis of their diet. Overall, the modules will offer an ideal substrate for the growth and development of seahorses and will be monitored to verify the establishment of colonies and the replicability of the initiative.
