Seagrass meadows in Studland Bay, Dorset, are at risk from the increasing likelihood of more severe winter storms. This potential damage to the seagrass could threaten the recovery of species, including seahorses, which have shown encouraging signs of returning to the area.
While seagrass can help reduce seabed erosion in shallow waters, it is vulnerable to stormy weather. Climate experts are predicting that the UK could experience an increase in the number and intensity of winter storms. The Met Office warned last month that the developing El Niño event is likely to be the strongest in living memory.
Last year, Studland Bay recorded its highest number of seahorse sightings since the pandemic. The Seahorse Trust founder, Neil Garrick-Maidment, stated that seahorses are being seen on every dive, a significant improvement from a period of two and a half years without a single sighting. Healthy seagrass meadows are vital for the seahorse breeding cycle, even though seahorses retreat to deeper waters in winter.