Caballitos

Introduction:
Belize is a relatively small country located in Central America. Even with a population of just over 300,000, there are certain species of flora and fauna under the threat of extinction. In the Caribbean, only two species of seahorses occur, namely the Lined Seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) and the Slender Seahorse (Hippocampus reidi); the Lined Seahorse is currently listed by theIUCN as a vulnerable species, while general information on the abundance of Longsnout seahorse is lacking, and the species has been categorized as data deficient indicating a need for further studies (Stimmelmayr, et.al; 2008). As a result, there are several known factors affecting the population of these creatures. The most important factor in this research is that of environmental destruction,which in this case is in the form of mangrove clearance. Mangrove clearance leads to high sedimentation rates, which then leads to further habitat destruction.
In addition, Seahorses (genus Hippocampus, family Syngnathidae) are distributed circumglobally in the marine environment. According to Rosa et.al (2005) seahorses are cryptic species, which are known to have a patchy distribution, sidefidelity, small home ranges and low mobility. Thus, their habitats include coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass meadows (Goffredo et.al; 2004). What’s more is that seahorses are being traded worldwide for use in traditional medicines, as aquarium pets and as curios.
Moreover, their decline is mostly associated with habitat degradation caused by marine dredging, waste dumping, chemical pollutionand land reclamation. (Goffredo et.al; 2004). Additionally, seahorses’ coastal habitats, such as reefs and mangroves, are among the most threatened in the world. The state of seahorse populations shows the uncontrolled overexploitation of marine resources and the unsuitable management of wild areas. Hence, all seahorse species have been listed on the IUCN Red List and in the inclusion of theentire genus Hippocampus in the Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (Rosa, et.al; 2004).
In my field of study in Biology, I was required to do courses that allowed me to gain experience in the marine environment, and thru those subjects I strengthened my interest in learning more about the aquatic animals and their surroundinghabitats; just about the whole interactions that exists under water and its relations to humans. Hence, the reason that courses such as oceanography, marine ecosystem, and invertebrates, prepared me for a better understanding of the marine environment and allowed me to put into practice in the field what I had learned theoretically. Apart from that, the voluntary services that I have conducted atSouth Water Caye Marine reserve has also enhanced my learning about the biology of marine animals and in turn allowed my knowledge to be expanded when it comes to conducting research. Therefore, it is then where my main reason for studying on seahorses originates; due to the variety of marine animals that can be found among the reef it is then where I pondered on the smaller and less prevalentcreatures and realized that seahorses are tiny species that it is a rare occasion that a human will be able to see one. On the other hand, what made me decide to study seahorses in mangrove habitats is due to the fact that studies are barely conducted among mangroves and also because most of the marine animals begin their lifecycle in the mangroves. Hence, from there I deduced my topic of studyingthe two types of seahorses that are most common in the Caribbean and are noted to be found in Belize in relation to the mangrove habitat and what its destruction can cause.

Objective:
The main purpose of this research will be to specifically gain biological knowledge about the Lined Seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) and Slender Seahorse (Hippocampus reidi) in relation to its surrounding habitat...