2014 Annual Report

2014 ANNUAL REPORT DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE It’s time forDirector's ocean Message optimism If you follow the news, you’d be forgiven for thinking that our oceans are a hopeless case. The media tends to move from one catastrophe to the next, focusing on the negative and not much else. Seahorse Amanda Vincent/Project

We here at Project Seahorse are occasionally guilty of this, too, and right (page 5). We tackled trawling, one of the world’s most there’s a pretty good reason for it. Our oceans do face incredible destructive fishing practices (page 7), published new trade pressures from human activities such as overfishing and destructive analyses, key biological research, and much more. fishing practices, pollution, climate change, and more. As a small and dedicated team of marine conservationists, we feel such an urgency to WIth our signature approach to conservation — blending solve these problems that we sometimes forget to stop and celebrate research and action — Project Seahorse accomplished big things in the things we’re getting right — and there are plenty of reasons for spite of our small size. We generated cutting-edge research and turned optimism about our oceans. our findings into highly tailored and effective actions at all different levels, from local ecosystems to international trade. And we Globally, the total area of ocean protected by marine reserves has couldn’t have done it without you. doubled, from six to 12 million sq. km, in just the past four years. Smartphone apps are making it easier than ever for people to make On behalf of everyone at Project Seahorse, I sincerely thank our smart seafood choices, while new innovations in fishing gear could donors, collaborators, and team members for their tireless support advancing marine conservation change the way we fish for the better (though not without a lot of and engagement. Together let’s create many more reasons for help, as you’ll see on page 7). In 2014, Sri Lanka became the first optimism about our oceans in 2015 and beyond. country in the world to protect all of its mangrove forests, and the U.S. reported an all-time low in overfishing and illegal fishing. (For Yours in conservation, more, check out Project Seahorse co-founder Dr. Heather Koldewey’s #oceanoptimism campaign on Twitter.)

We’re inspired by these new trends and by our own considerable conservation successes this past year. iSeahorse, our citizen science program, yielded surprising new scientific insights and prompted new engagement for seahorse conservation (page 3). Our trailblazing interdisciplinary research showed that women play a much Professor Amanda Vincent more significant role in fisheries than previously thought, and that Director and Co-Founder their contributions must be taken into account by resource Project Seahorse managers and governments if we’re going to get marine conservation @AmandaVincent1 Cover photo: Rinie Luykx/Guylian Seahorses of the World

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA twitter.com/projectseahorse Project Seahorse is committed to the conservation and twitter.com/heatherkoldewey sustainable use of the world’s coastal marine ecosystems. facebook.com/projectseahorse instagram.com/projectseahorse

2 OUR WORK SAVING SEAHORSES Amanda Vincent/Project Seahorse Amanda Vincent/Project

A global early warning system for seahorse conservation Gino Meskents/Guylian Seahorses of the World

iSeahorse, our pioneering citizen science Vincent says. “Due to habitat loss and harmful Did you know? website and smartphone app, is changing fishing practices like trawling, H. erectus is Seahorses are the only animal listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List what we know about seahorses and generating species where the male gets of Threatened Species.” new action for their conservation. pregnant. After a pregnancy of Diver Nedia Coutinho couldn’t quite believe Without iSeahorse, the discovery would have two to four weeks, he gives birth to her eyes when she spotted what looked like a gone unnoticed by scientists or the public. dozens or even many hundreds of seahorse in the chilly waters of St. Margaret’s Instead, it generated national media attention young, depending on the species. Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. in Canada, with stories appearing in major newspapers and on television, raising awareness In addition to our conservation ac- “I was so excited. This is the first time I had about the need for seahorse conservation in tion, Project Seahorse is the leading ever seen one,” she recalls. North America and around the world. scientific authority on the seahorses Coutinho uploaded her sighting to and their relatives. iSeahorse.org, having heard about the The Canadian seahorse discovery wasn’t program through friends in the diving the only one of its kind on iSeahorse. Our We have published many ground- community. Project Seahorse staff quickly iSeahorse team in the Philippines has made breaking studies on seahorse confirmed the species asHippocampus a number of similarly important discoveries. biology, behaviour, and conserva- erectus, the lined or northern seahorse. Since its launch in late 2013, the program has tion, and we chair the IUCN attracted over 1500 seahorse sightings, of which It was the first documented seahorse sighting Specialist Group on Seahorses, about 215, or more than 15%, occur outside of Project Seahorse is committed to the conservation and in Canadian waters in over a decade. Pipefish and Sticklebacks. a given species’ known geographical range. This sustainable use of the world’s coastal marine ecosystems. “It’s thrilling to know that Canada is still information affects conservation assessments home to seahorse populations,” Prof. Amanda and species management plans.

2 3 iSeahorse has also helped Project Seahorse to find seahorse populations and recruit dedicated population monitors. Located in Asia, Africa, and Europe, these monitors — many Turning divers into of them non-scientists — have begun to track populations over time. They are now poised to raise the alarm when there are conservationists sudden changes in local seahorse numbers or habitats. “Without iSeahorse, the discovery would have gone unnoticed by scientists or the public.”

“Our ultimate goal with iSeahorse is to build a global early warning system and conservation action network,” says Tyler Stiem, Project Seahorse’s communications manager and technical lead on iSeahorse. Iain R. Caldwell/Project Seahorse Iain R. Caldwell/Project

Coutinho says she will continue to contribute to support seahorse conservation through iSeahorse: “I know I’m not In 2014, we launched the PADI Seahorse Distinctive Specialty Course, a a scientist, but I can give the support with my video and one-day training that gives divers the skills they need to make important I do care about those creatures more now.” contributions to seahorse science and conservation. Their contributions are already giving Project Seahorse a better understanding of seahorse distribution and abundance around the world and are helping to improve Have you seen a seahorse in the wild? Want to learn about these charismatic animals and help out with species identifications? seahorse conservation. The course was highlighted in National Geographic

Visit iSeahorse.org today or download our app. and has attracted scoresof participants so far. For more information, please contact our PADI program lead, Lindsay Aylesworth.

4 Steeley/Guylian Seahorses of the World Terry OUR WORK SECURING SHALLOW SEAS

Iain R. Caldwell/Project Seahorse Iain R. Caldwell/Project Danika Kleiber/Project Seahorse Danika Kleiber/Project

Did you know? Bringing women into the Shallow seas ecosystems provide a home for thousands of marine conservation equation species, shelter coastal communities from typhoons, and by Project Seahorse that women make up nearly half of all New research help to keep our planet cool. reveals that women play an essential role in small-scale fishers in central Philippines Unfortunately, they are rapidly small-scale fisheries and that, to be truly and account for 25% of the catch by volume. being damaged. Approximately effective, marine conservation must take their Mainly, this takes the form of ‘gleaning,’ the one-third of coral reefs, man- contributions into account. collection of shellfish and other animals grove forests, and seagrasses from shallow, intertidal zones. “But women don’t fish! — you’d be surprised have been degraded or how often I heard that during my fieldwork,” “Women often fish differently than men, which destroyed globally. says researcher Danika Kleiber, remembering means they catch different types of animals in the skepticism she faced when she first set out different habitats, but that doesn’t mean what Working with local communities, to study women fishers in central Philippines. they’re doing is any less significant,” she says. Project Seahorse has established 35 marine protected areas on Either women don’t fish, or the fishing they Yet, as Danika discovered, the vast bulk of Danajon Bank, a rare and threat- do is too insignificant to have an impact on scientific literature on small-scale fisheries makes ened double barrier coral reef in marine ecosystems: such was the thinking no mention of women at all. One reason is that central Philippines. Our research that prevailed not just among local fishing fishing is often too narrowly defined to include and marine conservation man- communities, but among scientists and the types of fishing they do. Another is that agement tools have benefitted conservationists, too. women’s catch often goes toward feeding their many more shallow seas habitats family and doesn’t factor into commercial totals. around the world. Instead, Danika’s interdisciplinary research, which combines sociology, gender studies, “It’s a significant blind spot,” says Prof. Vincent, marine biology, and fisheries science, shows one of the co-authors on Danika’s study.

Terry Steeley/Guylian Seahorses of the World Terry 5 “Once we’ve recognized that women fish, Expanding MPAs in the the next step is to bring them into conservation planning and management. Because Philippines without their contributions, I’m not sure In 2014, the Project Seahorse marine protected conservation measures — in the Philippines area (MPA) program finished its second de- and beyond — can be truly effective.” cade in operation and our MPAs continue to grow and become more diverse. In that time Danika’s findings have been published in we’ve partnered with 36 coastal communi- leading conservation journals and will ties in the Central Philippines to plan and be turned into a series of management establish coastal zones that safeguard the

briefings for fisheries managers, policymakers, Koob/iLCP Claudio Contreras incredible biodiversity found in the and conservationists around the world. region. This past year, with support from our partner ZSL-Philippines, two of these MPAs underwent substantial expansions. Lipata MPA expanded by a factor of 10, from To learn more about Danika’s pioneering 10 hectares to over 100. Sinandigan MPA grew from 50 to 245 hectares. work on women and fisheries, you can read her published papers here and here. The MPAs now protect important mangrove forests — habitat critical to juvenile fish and invertebrates. In these coastal forests, young animals find protection from predators and grow before they move to coral reefs as adults. Mangroves are also crucial for preventing coastal erosion and protect coastlines from storms. It’s through continued partnerships with communities that we are helping improve the outlook for marine species and the people who depend on them for food and livelihoods. Claudio Contreras Koob/iLCP Claudio Contreras

6 6 6 OUR WORK FISHERIES & TRADE Lindsay Aylesworth/Project Seahorse Lindsay Aylesworth/Project

DDidid youyou know?know? Sounding the alarm about NearlyNearly three three billion billion people people depend depend onon the the sea sea as as a asource source of of food food and and medicine,medicine, and and 90% 90% of of all all economic economic ‘annihilation’ trawling activity in our oceans takes place activity in our oceans takes placein many countries deliberately catch anything in coastal areas. Overfishing and Bottom trawling has long been one coastal areas. Over fishing and harmful fishing practices such as of Project Seahorse’s major conservation and everything in their path,” Prof. Vincent harmful fishing practices such as trawling can destroy vital habitats concerns. Through our field research and trade says. “It’s annihilation trawling. They’ve given trawling can destroy vital habitats and wipe out seahorse and other surveys, we have consistently demonstrated up any pretense of targeting particular species.” and wipe out seahorse and other fish populations. that this destructive fishing practice is the fish populations. ‘Annihilation’ trawling not only destroys whole single greatest threat to seahorses and their In 2002, Project Seahorse achieved ecosystems, but profit margins have dimin- coastal marine habitats. Inlandmark 2002, Project protections Seahorse for achievedseahorses ished to the point that trawls today often lose landmarkunder the protections Convention for on seahorses Interna- This past year, in response to troubling a lot of money. It costs governments US $35 undertional the Trade Convention in Endangered on Interna Species- recent developments in global trawl fisheries, billion per year in subsidies to keep the world’s tional(CITES), Trade a first in Endangered for marine fishes.Species Project Seahorse published new analyses of fisheries operating. (CITES),Since then, a first our for work marine has pavedfishes. the the issue and took to the media to raise Sinceway forthen, new our trade work regulations has paved forthe “It all happens underwater, so we don’t even sharks, rays, and other species. awareness about it. way for new trade regulations for notice that every year trawlers scrape an area sharks, rays, and other species. “Trawling provides about a quarter of the 150 times larger than the forests that are world’s seafood. Years of overfishing have badly clearcut on land. That is why we at Project depleted high-value species like shrimp, so Seahorse are determined to become thought in order to keep the fishery going, trawlers in leaders on this issue.”

6 7 In a series of articles and media appearances (see page 12 of this review), Project Seahorse has begun to lay out CITES and marine fishes the case against trawl fisheries and what needs to be done. Allison Stocks/Project Seahorse We also published new research on the impact of tropical shrimp trawling on small fish species. “They’ve given up any pretense of targeting particular species.”

“We see our work in 2014 as the first salvo in what we hope will become a global movement to end this senselessly destructive fishing practice,” says Prof. Vincent.

Learn more about the problem of annihilation trawling in “Boundless No More,” Prof. Vincent and Dr. Jean M. Harris’s wide-ranging analysis published in Science Magazine. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has for decades faced challenges when it comes to regulating the trade in marine fish species. In fact, it wasn’t until Project Seahorse led a successful push to have seahorses listed on CITES in 2002 that the trade in marine fishes was restricted under this UN convention, and progress has been halting since then. Some of the 181 member countries argue that for various legal and logistical reasons the CITES is ill-suited to that purpose. As a result, the trade in most at-risk species remains unregulated.

In 2014, Prof. Amanda Vincent and a team of experts from around the world set out refute these objections once and for all. They published “The role of CITES in the conservation of marine fishes subject to international trade,” which outlines exactly how and why the convention should be used, dismantling the arguments that member countries use to avoid regulating their trade. The analysis has already contributed to new regulations for five species of shark and manta rays.

8 Claudio Contreras Koob/iLCP Guylian Seahorses of the World

Els Van Den Borre’s winning photo shows a Denise’s pygmy seahorse off the coast of Bali, Indonesia. Courtesy Guylian Seahorses of the World.

Congratulations to Els Van Den Borre, Roberto Strafella, and Did you know? Salvador J.R. Lao, this year’s grand prize winner and two finalists Since 1999, our major partner for Guylian’s Seahorses of the World Photo Competition! Guylian Belgian Chocolate has provided over CAD $2.5 This biennial competition brings together some of the best million in support for Project underwater photographers from around the world. As members Seahorse’s cutting-edge research of the prize jury Project Seahorse helps to choose the finalists and conservation programs. from incredible seahorse photographs from all over the A big thank you, Guylian! globe — everywhere from the Middle East to the Pacific to Asia and Europe.

Thanks to the generosity of Guylian Belgian Chocolate, co-sponsor NELOS-Festival, and the amazing photographers who participate, we receive these stunning new images as donations to our ever-growing database. We use the images for our scientific work and to promote seahorse conservation.

8 9 Claudio Contreras Koob/iLCP OUR WORK TRAINING CONSERVATIONISTS

Alumna profile: Lucy Woodall Dr. Lucy Woodall completed her PhD with Project Seahorse in 2009. She is currently a Scientific Associate at the Natural History Museum, London.

You trained as a seahorse geneticist with Project Seahorse. What did your PhD focus on? I did a comparative genetic study of the two species of European seahorses (H. guttulatus and H. hippocampus). In this research I determined how populations of these species around the European coastline were or were not related to each other. I also conducted ecological surveys of seahorse habitat and some mating trials. My research has impacted the design of captive breeding programs for seahorses at zoos and aquariums, and has had important implications for the management and conservation of wild populations. Lucy Woodall/Natural History Lucy Woodall/Natural Your career has taken a number of interesting turns since you finished your PhD. Can you talk about some of your work? I have been really lucky to have had a varied career thus far, Microplastics had previously been reported in many different en- working on everything from bumblebee conservation, to vironments, but not the deep-sea. My paper wasthe first to report seahorse genetics and conservation, to the biodiversity of their ubiquity in the deep sea and went on to suggest that the deep the deep sea. What has tied all of this work together is my sea is, in fact, the ultimate sink for marine plastic. This pollution genetic expertise and its application to real-world has recently become a focus of much of my research time. conservation challenges. Currently we know that these pollutants impact marine life in Over the past year or so, you’ve focused on many different ways. Organisms can ingest, be entangled, live on microplastics. How did that come about, why do or be smothered by litter and/or microplastics. In addition the microplastics matter and why are they such an smallest particles (microplastics) can transfer chemicals to marine important issue for marine conservationists? creatures from the environment. My first discovery of microplastics was serendipitous. I was screening deep-sea sediment under a microscope, looking for very How did Project Seahorse prepare you for such a small worms (nematodes), when I saw brightly coloured fibres. varied career? At first I was not sure what they were, but soon discovered that With Project Seahorse I was always encouraged to embrace new the fibres were microplastics — tiny bits of plastic from degraded ideas, not to be scared of addressing the big questions, and to make water bottles and other consumer goods, mainly. my research as relevant as possible to real-world problems.

This positive, engaging and creative outlook has meant Did you know? Over the past 20 years, Project Seahorse has trained over that I investigate how my research fits in with society, 175 professional conservationists as well as hundreds of and I really do strive to find innovative solutions to citizen scientists and frontline advocates from around the conservation challenges. world. Attracted by our interdisciplinary approach, our students and staff come from many different disciplines, “My research uncovered from the biological sciences to the humanities. In addition to the cutting-edge research and conservation the ubiquity of microplastics work they have done as part of the Project Seahorse team, many have gone on to build impressive, difference-making in the deep sea.” careers as scientists, policymakers and conservationists.

What do hope will be the long-term impact of your work? Well, my hope is that my research on the wide-ranging threat of microplastics will help galvanise society, governments, and industry to tackle the problem. NEW FACES To this end, I’m working with a range of other Clayton Manning is studying seahorse feeding academics (artists, engineers and chemists) and policy and growth in areas with and without human experts to explore ways of engaging different audiences disturbance in Australia. He completed his BSc on the issue. in Environmental Science at the University of Calgary. While at U of C Clayton looked at how plant chemical defenses impact mountain pine beetle reproduction, and For more information about microplastics, check out he also that examined the relative influences of pH and solar radiation Lucy’s recent blog, which includes links to her research study. on pathogen concentrations in river environments.

11 Massimo Giorgetta/Guylian Seahorses of the World Publications Correia M., Palma J., Koldewey H.J. and Andrade J.P. 2014. The use of a non-invasive tool for capture-recapture studies on a seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus population. Journal of Fish Biology 84(4):872-884.

Foster S.J. and Arreguin-Sánchez F. 2014. Using distribution pat- terns of small fishes to assess small fish by-catch in tropical shrimp trawl fisheries. Animal Conservation (17):217–224.

Foster S.J., Wiswedel S. and Vincent A.C.J. 2014. Opportunities and challenges for analysis of wildlife trade using CITES data – seahorses as a case study. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwa- ter Ecosystems.

Kleiber D., Harris L.M. and Vincent A.C.J. 2014. Gender and small-scale fisheries: a case for counting women and beyond. Fish and Fisheries.

Kleiber D., Harris L.M. and Vincent A.C.J. 2014. Improving fisheries estimates by including women’s catch in the Central Philippines. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 71(5):656-664.

Lam J.T.L., Koldewey H.J., Yasué M. and Vincent A.C.J. 2014. Comparing interview and trade data in assessing changes in the seahorse Hippocampus spp. trade following CITES listing. Oryx.

Selgrath J.C., Kleiber D. and O’Donnell K.P. 2014. Understanding Tradeoffs in Fishers Decision Making: Catch, Distance, and Safety Influence Where Fishers Fish. In McConney, P., R. Medeiros, and M. Pena (eds). Enhancing Stewardship in Small-Scale Fisheries: Practices and Perspectives. Too Big To Ignore (TBTI) and Centre Arco de Man/Guylian Seahorses of the World for Resource Management and Environmental Studies, The Univer- sity of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. CERMES Technical Report No. 73. pp 162. Selected media coverage Vincent A.C.J. and Harris J.M. 2014. Boundless no more. “Turning Divers into Citizen Scientists.” Science. 346(6208):420-421. National Geographic. 27 August 2014.

Vincent A.C.J., Sadovy Y.J., Fowler S.L. and Lieberman S. 2014. “Oceans need saving before science is nailed.” The role of CITES in the conservation of marine fishes subject to Nature. 15 August 2014. international trade. Fish and Fisheries (15):563–592.

“Do you know where your seafood’s from?” Yip M.Y., Lim A.C.O., Chong V.C., Lawson J.M. and Foster S.J. CBC Television. 8 June 2014. 2014. Food and feeding habits of the seahorses Hippocampus spinosissimus and Hippocampus trimaculatus (Malaysia). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.a “Shun shrimp that hasn’t been sustainably sourced.” Vancouver Sun. 5 June 2014.

“Two divers praised for rare seahorse sighting off Nova Scotia.” Globe and Mail. 22 May 2014.

12 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Our partners and home institutions

The University of British Columbia’s Institute for The Zoological Society of London hosts Project the Oceans and Fisheries” hosts most of Project Seahorse’s UK team. Dr. Heather Koldewey, Seahorse’s international team. Project Seahorse Project Seahorse’s co-Founder and Field Directorand co-founder Dr. Amanda Vincent is a Conservation Manager, is also Head of Global member of the UBC faculty. www.oceans.ubc.ca Conservation Programmes at ZSL. www.zsl.org

Our major sponsor Guylian Belgian Chocolate is a major sustaining sponsor of our research and conservation projects around the world. Guylian’s commitment to marine conservation is matched only by the excellence of its chocolates. www.guylian.com

Our donors Dallas Zoological Society People’s Trust for Endangered Species Explorer’s Club Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Fresno Chaffee Zoo Riverbanks Zoo Government of Hong Kong Synchronicity Earth

Arco de Man/Guylian Seahorses of the World Harmsworth Trust Taiwan Forestry Bureau, COA Henry Doorly Zoo The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Whitley Fund for Nature Laguntza Foundation Selected media coverage Langar Foundation Special thanks also to an anonymous donor Mitacs Globalink who has for many years provided essential Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund support to Project Seahorse. Ocean Charitable Trust Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong Patricia Price Patrick Gilhuly

Thank you to our volunteers and work-learn students in Canada, the Philippines, and around the world for their enthusiasm and dedication.

Online projectseahorse.org iseahorse.org iucn-seahorse.org facebook.com/projectseahorse twitter.com/projectseahorse instagram.com/projectseahorse

Canada office Institute for the Ocean and Fisheries (formerly the Fisheries Centre) The University of British Columbia 2202 Main Mall Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 Canada Email: [email protected] Tel: +1 604-827-5141

United Kingdom office Zoological Society of London Regent’s Park London NW1 4RY United Kingdom Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 207 449 6480

Salvador J.R. Lao/Guylian Seahorses of the World