Our project

Advancing seahorse conservation: strategies for data-deficient Hippocampus species in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is home to at least six seahorse species, but important gaps remain in our understanding of their populations, habitats, fisheries interactions and conservation needs. These gaps make it difficult to assess whether existing measures are protecting wild populations or where additional action is needed.

Project Seahorse is bringing together ecological, fisheries, trade and policy evidence to establish conservation priorities and support stronger management of Sri Lanka’s seahorses, including development of a National Plan of Action for their conservation.

Goal

Assess the conservation status of Sri Lanka’s seahorses and provide the evidence needed to strengthen their protection, management and monitoring.

Who

The project is led by Samara Polwatta, PhD candidate at Project Seahorse, in collaboration with researchers and conservation partners in Sri Lanka.
The project engages government agencies, NGOs, academics, fishers, fishing and trade stakeholders, divers and other members of the marine community.

What we’re doing

• Finding the seahorses: documenting populations, distribution and important habitats.
• Understanding the pressures: investigating fisheries, bycatch, trade and other threats.
• Assessing management: examining awareness, monitoring and enforcement of existing regulations.
• Setting priorities: bringing scientific and local knowledge together to identify practical conservation actions.

Funding support

We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Rufford Foundation and UBC’s Public Scholars Initiative.

Learn more about how you can support this work

[Updated 28 August 2026]