"...Seahorses reach Thames"

From the Timesonline (UK)

FOR 18 months it has been a closely guarded secret. Seahorses, the exotic creatures from tropical waters, are alive and well in the Thames estuary.

The fish once thought to pull Neptune’s chariot in some enchanted realm can do the same for Old Father Thames now that the river’s waters are so much cleaner.

The Zoological Society of London discovered the colony in 2006 but decided to keep quiet until legislation could be put in place to protect the seahorses. They live in the river’s estuary, between Essex and Kent.

Scientists have greeted their arrival as an indicator of the increasing purity of the river’s water. Fifty years ago they declared the river biologically dead - killed by the pollution that was the product of industrialisation and urban growth.

Environmentalists, however, will point out that the arrival of the seahorse is also a sign of ecological changes linked to global warning...

The short-snouted seahorses in the Thames are commonly found around Africa and the Mediterranean and only occasionally near the southern coasts of Britain. Their usual habitat is shallow coastal waters rich in weeds and plant life, although they can be found as deep as 100ft.

There are an estimated 30 species of seahorse worldwide but only two are found around Britain. Both the short-snouted and long-snouted seahorse can be found off the south coast; only occasionally have isolated individuals been identified as far north as the Thames estuary...

Last year, however, juvenile seahorses of both the short-snouted and long-snouted species were found in the marina at Brighton, East Sussex. This was the first evidence to suggest the fish were actually breeding in British waters.