Seahorses are very fascinating and magical marine creatures. They help keep the ecosystem in check, by feeding on plankton, shrimp and small fish.  They have a head like a horse, a tail like a monkey, a head that moves independently, and skin color that can change like a chameleon. Seahorses have so many unusual characteristics and behaviors that it’s easy to see why they are so interesting to study. Keeping sea life in aquariums is unethical and removing them disrupts our ecosystem. Researchers have estimated that 37 million seahorses are taken from shallow, lush coastal waters and are captured. More than half of the seahorses that are captured and exported end up dead and dried. By making a small difference, we can stop an other marine species from becoming extinct.

Seahorses are threatened by habitat loss, nonselective fishing, bycatch (caught on accident) and sold on the black market. It is estimated that around 37 million seahorses are taken from shallow coastal waters yearly, Southeast Asia and West Africa being the main regions exporting this species. Most of them wound up dead, dried and sold for traditional Chinese medicines claiming to boost virility and or cure impotence. Their habitats are threatened by water pollution and development. Seahorses are also poorly evaluated (Data deficient) so their population trends are unknown. 

Habitat degradation and destruction because of coastal development, marine pollution, destruction of coral reefs and even land deforestation threaten seahorses because deforestation leads to siltation increased in the surrounding marine waters which suffocates seagrass beds and kills coral reefs, their homes. 

One of the most endangered seahorse is the Cape seahorse (Hippocampus capensis). 

Nitrogen deposition from atmospheric emissions and runoff can trigger toxic algae to bloom which is harmful to many animals including seahorses. Greenhouse gasses also heat up the ocean causing aquatic animals to die from the heat. Because of the heat coral reefs die, which is one of the main habitats of seahorses.

Solutions on an individual level: recycling, electric cars or hybrid, less use of single use plastic, donations to non-profit organizations helping this cause, spread awareness

Solutions on a business level: Captive breeding, electric transportation, organize seahorse monitoring and protection projects

Solutions on a government level: cleaning waters, implementing laws against seahorses fishing( no mass fishing or accessing like swimming in areas that house seahorses) reenforce production and creation of renewable energy, global warming. Banning the sell of the spotted seahorse and banning the sell of other seahorses