Family-owned South Australian winery, Taylors Wines, has partnered with the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) to launch an initiative to save Australia’s endangered White’s Seahorse (or Sydney Seahorse) from extinction.
The SeaBnB campaign is a fundraising initiative calling on Australians to give these underwater equines a temporary home while SIMS researchers work to rebuild their permanent, seagrass habitats.
One hundred percent of donations (less any transaction fees) will go directly towards SIMS’ research projects with the aim to fully restore the seahorse’s natural habitats and give these animals a fighting chance to avoid extinction.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the great work that SIMS does and I’m blown away by the innovative research they are doing to restore the homes of these precious marine animals,” says Taylors Wines Winemaker and Managing Director, Mitchell Taylor.
“Seahorses, much like grapevines, are an indicator species that raise the alarm to serious climate-related issues. It’s very important we do what we can to reverse their population decline before it’s too late.”
The Sydney seahorse is endemic to the east coast of Australia and is one of only two seahorses on the planet to be listed as an endangered species. Their preferred homes, the underwater seagrass meadows known as Posidonia australis, are declining at a rapid rate, the same rate as the coral reefs.
According to SIMS, the survival of this seagrass species is crucial in the fight against climate change.
It has the ability to slow climate change by storing carbon 30 to 40 times faster than terrestrial forests. And while being home to beautiful sea critters like the Sydney seahorse, the seagrass helps filter the debris in our oceans, making them the picturesque clear blue waters seen in tourism ads around the world.
“This is such an exciting initiative between SIMS and Taylors – it’s a partnership which unites two quite distinct organisations who share common values focused on safeguarding the future of the planet,” says SIMS CEO, Martina Doblin.
The goal for the SeaBnB initiative is to raise $150,000 which will enable SIMS to fully restore select areas of seagrass meadows that have been lost. In turn, this creates the opportunity to reintroduce a herd of captive-raised seahorses to their natural habitat.
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