These seahorses started vanishing from Aussie waters. Here's why that's a problem
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Measuring about 15cm from top to tail, the endangered White's Seahorse is the kind of unique marine creature you have to look hard to find. Not just because they're tiny but because about 15 years ago, they started vanishing from Australian waters at alarming rates. A 2015 study revealed that some New South Wales populations were decimated by about 90 per cent in just five years. The White's Seahorse was declared endangered in 2020, yet there's still hardly any research on their populations in Queensland. (Supplied) And the same could be happening in Queensland, but scientists would never know it. There's currently no broad research about White's Seahorse populations in the sunshine state, meaning scientists have no baseline to measure current numbers against. That makes it difficult to track if these endangered seahorses are inching closer to extinction in Queensland waters, and limits the opportunity to introduce conservation measures that could save them. University of Queensland PhD candidate Rowan Carew intends to change that. Because if the White's Seahorse goes extinct, Australia's oceans will be in a dire state indeed. "Seahorses are what we call indicator species," Carew told 9news.com.au. Rowan Carew is on a mission to ensure the survival of the White's Seahorse in Queensland. (Supplied) "So if we lost our seahorse species in Queensland, that would indicate that the ecosystem or environment that they're in is unhealthy. "And that has a trickle down effect for all sorts of animals in these ecosystems ... so we definitely don't want to lose them." Research has shown that habitat loss and flood events had a devastating impact on NSW populations of White's Seahorse between 2009 and 2015. Carew fears the same may be happening to populations in Queensland, especially after years of floods and Cyclone Alfred at the start of 2025. "The main threat that we're looking at potentially is habitat loss," she said. "Things such as weather events like the recent cyclone, things such as dredging, things such as coastal development, that all impacts their habitat." But their habitat also makes White's Seahorses difficult to study in Queensland. Finding a White's Seahorse in Queensland can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. (Supplied) In New South Wales, these seahorses tend to live around swim nets and soft coral colonies, making it easy for researchers to locate them in specific areas. Up north, they prefer to hang around in sea grass beds that can stretch for kilometers underwater, making these tiny critters much harder to find. "It's a little bit like looking for a needle in a haystack, which I think is why no one's really gone to a significant effort to do any research on them in Queensland," Carew said. The "only reason" her team is able to attempt it now is because they have the support of the Queensland Government and millions of potential citizen scientists. Researchers are calling on everyday Australians who spot a White's Seahorse in South-East Queensland while snorkelling or scuba diving to snap a photo and send it to them. Carew shows off a White's Seahorse she collected from a bed of sea grass. (Supplied) Not only will it allow them to collect additional data on individual seahorses, information sent in by citizen scientists may help them discover populations in unexpected locations. "Our team is very small, we can't get out into the whole of Moreton Bay and the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast," Carew said. "So it's really important to have the citizen science, because that basically informs where we're going to do our surveys." There's something in it for the citizen scientists too. If your sighting leads the research team to a location where they find and tag a White's Seahorse, they'll name it after you and update you on its progress. Carew hopes that her research will help establish key information about White's Seahorse populations in Queensland and facilitate conservation efforts that could help get them taken off the endangered list. Citizen scientists who help researchers find and study these seahorses can get one named after them. (Supplied) Breed and release programs and installing artificial habitats have already boosted numbers in NSW, which is a promising start. "That's the main reason for this research and trying to push for conservation in Queensland," Carew said. "Because we just don't have any of those kind of measures in place to keep numbers stable if something does go wrong." national
queensland
nature
ocean
animals
science CONTACT US
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
9 News
18 hours ago
- 9 News
These seahorses started vanishing from Aussie waters. Here's why that's a problem
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Measuring about 15cm from top to tail, the endangered White's Seahorse is the kind of unique marine creature you have to look hard to find. Not just because they're tiny but because about 15 years ago, they started vanishing from Australian waters at alarming rates. A 2015 study revealed that some New South Wales populations were decimated by about 90 per cent in just five years. The White's Seahorse was declared endangered in 2020, yet there's still hardly any research on their populations in Queensland. (Supplied) And the same could be happening in Queensland, but scientists would never know it. There's currently no broad research about White's Seahorse populations in the sunshine state, meaning scientists have no baseline to measure current numbers against. That makes it difficult to track if these endangered seahorses are inching closer to extinction in Queensland waters, and limits the opportunity to introduce conservation measures that could save them. University of Queensland PhD candidate Rowan Carew intends to change that. Because if the White's Seahorse goes extinct, Australia's oceans will be in a dire state indeed. "Seahorses are what we call indicator species," Carew told Rowan Carew is on a mission to ensure the survival of the White's Seahorse in Queensland. (Supplied) "So if we lost our seahorse species in Queensland, that would indicate that the ecosystem or environment that they're in is unhealthy. "And that has a trickle down effect for all sorts of animals in these ecosystems ... so we definitely don't want to lose them." Research has shown that habitat loss and flood events had a devastating impact on NSW populations of White's Seahorse between 2009 and 2015. Carew fears the same may be happening to populations in Queensland, especially after years of floods and Cyclone Alfred at the start of 2025. "The main threat that we're looking at potentially is habitat loss," she said. "Things such as weather events like the recent cyclone, things such as dredging, things such as coastal development, that all impacts their habitat." But their habitat also makes White's Seahorses difficult to study in Queensland. Finding a White's Seahorse in Queensland can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. (Supplied) In New South Wales, these seahorses tend to live around swim nets and soft coral colonies, making it easy for researchers to locate them in specific areas. Up north, they prefer to hang around in sea grass beds that can stretch for kilometers underwater, making these tiny critters much harder to find. "It's a little bit like looking for a needle in a haystack, which I think is why no one's really gone to a significant effort to do any research on them in Queensland," Carew said. The "only reason" her team is able to attempt it now is because they have the support of the Queensland Government and millions of potential citizen scientists. Researchers are calling on everyday Australians who spot a White's Seahorse in South-East Queensland while snorkelling or scuba diving to snap a photo and send it to them. Carew shows off a White's Seahorse she collected from a bed of sea grass. (Supplied) Not only will it allow them to collect additional data on individual seahorses, information sent in by citizen scientists may help them discover populations in unexpected locations. "Our team is very small, we can't get out into the whole of Moreton Bay and the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast," Carew said. "So it's really important to have the citizen science, because that basically informs where we're going to do our surveys." There's something in it for the citizen scientists too. If your sighting leads the research team to a location where they find and tag a White's Seahorse, they'll name it after you and update you on its progress. Carew hopes that her research will help establish key information about White's Seahorse populations in Queensland and facilitate conservation efforts that could help get them taken off the endangered list. Citizen scientists who help researchers find and study these seahorses can get one named after them. (Supplied) Breed and release programs and installing artificial habitats have already boosted numbers in NSW, which is a promising start. "That's the main reason for this research and trying to push for conservation in Queensland," Carew said. "Because we just don't have any of those kind of measures in place to keep numbers stable if something does go wrong." national queensland nature ocean animals science CONTACT US
West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
Minister Tim Ayres says job fears shouldn't hold Australia back on Artificial Intelligence, productivity
Australia must embrace the opportunities of artificial intelligence in the job market or risk falling behind in the global race to adopt digital technology, says new Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres. In an exclusive interview with The Nightly, Senator Ayres said that eschewing the advantages of cutting-edge AI in the workplace over job fears would be more detrimental to the employment market overall, urging the country to adapt with the times to boost productivity. Investing in technology was 'not a zero-sum game' for the labour market, he said, calling for a 'big national conversation' between institutions, trade unions, business groups and the research and development sector to set objectives in the country's best interests. In wide-ranging comments, he spruiked his ambition to make Australia a top-shelf destination for data centres and to invest in infrastructure that would shape the nation's digital future rather than leave it 'at the end of someone else's technological supply chain.' He also hinted at a lighter touch approach to regulating rapidly advancing technology while stressing the urgency of finding the right safeguards. Senator Ayres had just moved into his new ministerial office in Parliament House when The Nightly spoke with him, but Toby Walsh's The Shortest History of AI was already one of two books sitting prominently on his desk. It offers a glimpse into the daunting challenges he faces to maximise the benefits of artificial intelligence while protecting the country from its risks. This includes concerns about how to weigh up technological progress with the impact of AI on jobs in manufacturing and other sectors. Senator Ayres, who had a long career as a senior official in the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union before entering parliament, acknowledged the hurdles but underscored the potential for more job creation. 'The only thing that would be more disruptive in terms of employment and job opportunities is stepping back, having economies that pass us by,' he said. 'I'm absolutely seized of the importance of investment and economic growth and good jobs and productivity in terms of leaning into the challenge. 'That's not without risks, and we need to work together in an Australian formulation, working collectively across the economy to make sure we get the best outcome for the country.' Every wave of technological change involved reshaping the labour market, Senator Ayres argued. 'My experience in manufacturing, as automation stepped up, as adoption of digital technology stepped up, is that involved jobs changing, some jobs going and investment in new jobs and capability,' he said. Senator Ayres said he was seeking a 'pragmatic' path between 'artificial intelligence boosters' promoting a utopian approach and 'artificial intelligence doomsayers.' The Minister said he was determined to put the tech sector and investment in new industrial capabilities at the centre of the debate as the Government prepares to host a productivity roundtable on August 19 to 21. The meeting in the Cabinet room will draw together senior politicians with business, union and civil society representatives to find common ground on long-term economic reform. Australia's challenges in tackling sluggish productivity growth were not unique among Western nations, argued Senator Ayres. 'Australia can't afford to step backwards in technological terms, because that will be one of the key drivers of productivity growth over the coming decade,' he said. But beyond the roundtable and ongoing productivity debate, the Senator must also help set the direction for major Government decisions on a national strategy for safety standards for AI and the digital economy, whether through regulation or voluntary codes. Treasurer Jim Chalmers set the tone of the approach earlier this month at a speech at the National Press Club outlining his ministry's priorities for the new term. Dr Chalmers said he would work with Senator Ayres and Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy Dr Andrew Charlton to 'capitalise on the huge gains on offer, not just set guardrails'. 'We want to get the best out of new technology and investment in data infrastructure in ways that leverage our strengths, work for our people and best manage impacts on our energy system and natural environment,' Dr Chalmers said. Landing on a risk-based model for regulating AI is unfinished business from Labor's first term, and an issue where the Government is coming under increasing pressure to act and to more clearly define its policy. Senator Ayres' predecessor Ed Husic last term launched a 'mandatory guardrails' consultation to moot an Australian AI Act that would impose minimum standards on high-risk AI models across the economy. Mr Husic backs the proposal of an AI Act to provide certainty about how to mitigate the risks in what he describes as the current 'Swiss cheese landscape' of regulation. But Senator Ayres indicated he was going to take a cautious path, and said he was not yet ready to commit to major policy decisions without further consultation. 'I'm going to work carefully through that set of issues and talk to colleagues before I reach a final view about the right approach on the regulatory front and the legislative front,' he said. As a new Minister, he wanted to evaluate work already underway 'before I shoot my mouth off about where we land on these precise sort of regulatory architecture questions,' he said. He insisted would reach the 'right outcome in short order' to give guidance to industry and the public. 'My instinctive response is leaning into the opportunity. That's the overall setting here, and that's my starting point,' he said. Senator Ayres stressed that no country on Earth believed there should be a completely unregulated approach to artificial intelligence development or adoption and signalled he was assessing the models and approaches of partner economies. But less than two months into the job, the Minister already faces rising calls from industry bodies, experts and civil society groups to better define policies to allow AI to boost innovation, living standards and productivity and also to mitigate the risks. A landmark report by the Business Council of Australia (BCA) released in early June outlined a blueprint to make the nation a global leader in AI by 2028, and called among multiple recommendations for 'clear, practical and risk-based AI regulations that encourage innovation'. The BCA report warned that without immediate action, Australia risked falling behind competitor nations racing ahead in AI capability and adoption. Senator Ayres said he was acting on the 'urgency' of the issues. 'I don't want to set a timeframe but I am absolutely seized of the urgency of it, absolutely engaged with the tech sector and the investment community where there is a very consistent message about the sense of urgency about these questions,' he said. 'I'm absolutely seized as well of aligning this line of effort with the other lines of effort that the Government has on the productivity and investment side.'
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Great whites sharks: maybe they won't need a bigger boat
As media around world mark the 50th anniversary of the film Jaws, the film that turned great whites into a public enemy, research funded by the NSW Department of Primary Industries Shark Management Strategy and Deakin University suggests the species is in trouble and that fewer than 500 adult breeding sharks were found around Australia's coastline. The finding challenges fears that their numbers are mounting. Such claims have been widespread since Steven Spielberg's horror classic opened and provided a lucrative living for many, like Queensland sideshow alley shark hunter Vic Hislop, to catch, kill and display the species. But great whites fuel our beach culture's deepest fear, and until now, exact numbers have evaded reality. However, the groundbreaking research indicates a relatively small adult breeding population. Scientists who have mapped the DNA of captured 650 great whites have identified 275 full siblings and 511 half siblings among great whites off the east coast and 12 full-sibling relationships and 29 half siblings in the southern oceans. Small numbers aside, the major surprise was that sharks along the east coast and southern Australian waters were closely related and migratory. Some 2.8 people have died in the annual average of 20 shark attacks in Australian waters over the past decade. Shark terror has especially touched NSW, Western Australia and South Australia. Everybody has a theory, ranging from 'sharks are back because nobody is killing whales' to 'the depletion of fish stocks by long-line fishers has them cruising the continental shelf searching for food'. The researchers said that despite there being fewer than 500 breeding great whites, interactions could be increasing due to the fact more people are entering the water to surf, or to fish with hooks or spears. 'Conservation management of white sharks in Australia is complicated by increasing frequencies of human-shark interactions, sometimes resulting in human casualties, leading to public demands for shark control and culling programs,' the study says. Loading The findings on Australia's great white numbers are likely to refuel the debate about shark netting. Exactly a century after 12-year-old Alfred Australia Howe became the first European to die in a shark attack in the colony of NSW, meshing was adopted by NSW Fisheries on January 31, 1937, following more than a decade of deaths off Sydney beaches. Nearly 90 years later, a growing contingent says the nets have little impact in preventing interactions between sharks and swimmers.
