It's Spectacular' Volunteer Divers in Dorset Record Surge in Seahorses

The divers emerged from the water smiling with satisfaction. They had found what they were looking for in the marine meadows off the south coast of England.

- Steven Morris

"Seahorses are tricky to spot," said Mark Fox. "The seagrass sways and they blend into it pretty well. It helps if it's sunny and not too choppy but you have to get your eye in. When you see them, it's brilliant."

Fox is one of a band of volunteers (he is a semi-retired painter/decorator) helping to survey the creatures that live in Studland Bay.

Over the past two decades, conservationists have worked hard to make conditions in the Dorset bay better for the seagrass – and thus the seahorses – including introducing almost 100 "eco moorings" that do not harm the habitat.

Coming across a seahorse here used to be a rare event, but this summer the divers have seen a surge in numbers, with 33 seahorses counted in one survey.

"It's spectacular to see so many seahorses here," said Ken Collins, an emeritus fellow at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton.