Helping Dwarf Seahorses

Dwarf seahorses are a miracle in themselves.With adults only about an inch tall, the dwarf seahorse is the smallest of the four seahorse species found in U.S. waters. This dainty, curly-tailed fish occurs only in shallow seagrass areas in the Gulf of Mexico, along the Atlantic Coast of Florida and in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, this seahorse now faces numerous threats to its existence, and the best available science shows that it’s in decline. Widespread loss of the species’ seagrass habitat due to pollution, damage from boats and trawls and global warming is hurting the minuscule creature — which is further endangered by collection for use in the aquarium trade.After the oil spill, this species is even more threatened. Dwarf seahorses are not good swimmers, and may be caught in a oil batch.