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Seahorses on the East End are about to start living large, thanks to a group of students on Shelter Island.
The Northern Lined Seahorse, native to the area, has seen a steep population decline over the years due to habitat loss.
But now, sixth through ninth graders from Shelter Island School are teaming up with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County to build mini “hotels” to help these underwater creatures make a comeback.
Making room
The idea has been in the works for years. CCE’s marine team has long researched how to conserve the species, and last week, those efforts finally made it into the water.
With guidance from CCE, students built the habitats using repurposed aquaculture gear.
The seahorses’ natural home is eelgrass meadows, which have been struggling due to climate change and rising water temperatures, experts say. Hotter weather and algae blooms cloud the water and block out the sunlight eelgrass needs to thrive.
“We’re getting reports of seahorses utilizing oyster farm cages,” said Kate Rossi-Snook, coordinator of the marine program at CCE. “They have the prehensile tail that they use to hold on to things. So normally they’d be holding onto the blades of the eelgrass. Instead, they are now able to wrap their tails around the wire mesh of the cages.”
That discovery inspired Rossi-Snook to gather old aquaculture gear and work with the Shelter Island School District to turn it into permanent housing for the seahorses. Unlike oyster cages, these new “hotels” won’t be moved around, which means the monogamous seahorses can find a place to settle down and hopefully start families.
Seaweed suites
Science teacher Dan Williams said the kids weren’t just told to slap together some boxes.
“They could have made them just basic cages, but they brought them to the students and said, ‘Have fun,’ while also making sure that they’re turtle-safe,” he said. “One of my students made it look like a pirate ship with a sail. I also had some of the students who literally made a concept of a hotel with a grand entrance.”
The hotels were built using PVC pipes, zip ties, metal caging and plastic netting. Williams instructed the students to slow water flow through the structures to create an eddy — an ideal environment for grass to grow and sea creatures to settle in.
The students also learned a bigger lesson about the environment.
“They realized how fragile it is,” Williams said. “Instead of feeling stuck doing nothing — the way a lot of people feel about climate change — they got to actually help. Now they know they aren’t powerless.”
The new structures will be monitored by scuba divers and underwater cameras.
— all photos come courtesy of Kate Rossi-Snook, coordinator of the marine program at CCE.
