Submitted by: Tanvi Vaidyanathan
Conservation efforts in shallow seas could benefit species living in deeper waters. To that end, I am focusing on seahorses, which are threatened and iconic species in marine conservation. The UN’s Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species controls exports in many species like seahorses, which are often caught in trawl nets. National authorities are at uncertain of how best to ensure that their trade in such accidentally-caught species is sustainable, and that seahorse habitat is protected. I am exploring how India’s management of shallow waters and fisheries in the Gulf of Mannar might benefit seahorses and other species.