WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2015 19 has to be well managed. This makes the correct identification of hybrids through morphometric (Fig. 3) or molecular (Ho et al. 2015) methods paramount for proper conservation breeding efforts. However the threat of potentially “polluting” captive breeding lines should not discourage the exploration of hybrid seahorses for aquaculture because improved culture techniques can aid in seahorse conservation by reducing the pressure caused by collection from wild stocks by providing a captive-bred alternative. Captive breeding efforts must go hand-in-hand with conservation of wild seahorses. With improvements and reduced cost of conducting genetic studies, population genetic studies of seahorses have been on the rise. Research efforts towards evaluating wild seahorse population genetic diversity across wide ranges are ongoing across the globe, including in the US, Europe, China and the Indo-Pacific. Results from these studies are essential to establishing conservation action plans. Seahorses as Sentinels for Informal Aquaculture Education Aside from using public aquariums to educate people about the oceans, incorporating environmental scientific literacy within formal education systems are being adopted. The practice of aquaculture comes with challenges, and as technology continues to evolve, new platforms for skill sets in science, engineering, and mathematics will follow. At VBML, 9-18 year old youth may get hands-on experience in building aquatic systems specific to the needs of seahorses (Fig. 4). Students are also given the opportunity to conduct a simple research project using seahorses as a way to teach experimental design and help develop observational skills. The most beneficial caveat of conducting an experiment with live animals is that many things do not go as planned. Turning unexpected challenges into opportunities for students to become critical thinkers and problem solvers are useful tools in any career. The farming of seahorses may serve as a gateway to introducing other cultured products and teach the importance of sustainable choices. Furthermore, seahorses are a great model species for the marine ornamental pet trade industry. Future generations are more aware of how foods from farms end up on dinner tables, which may segue into conversations on the origin of fish sold in pet shops. Just as there are pros and cons in aquaculture practices, the same applies to aquatic pet fisheries and farming. It is our responsibility to inform consumers about making educated decisions when purchasing species for an aquarium. Acknowledgments We are greatly thankful to Ecoxotic for providing full spectrum LED lights and the Vero Beach Marine Laboratory volunteers for assisting in our research and education programs. Notes Nancy K.P. Ho, Florida Institute of Technology, Vero Beach Marine Laboratory. 805 46th Place East. Vero Beach, FL 32963. Email: nho@fit.edu Junda Lin, Florida Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Sciences and Vero Beach Marine Laboratory. 150 W University Blvd., Melbourne, FL 32901 Email: jlin@fit.edu References Chen L., X. Wang and B. Huang. 2015. The genus Hippocampus—A review on traditional medicinal uses, chemical constituents and pharmacological properties. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 162:104-111. Delabbio, J. 2015. Advantages of LED lighting systems in larval fish culture. World Aquaculture 46(3):25-29. Ho, N.K.P., A.L.F.C. Ho, G.D. Underwood, A. Underwood, D. Zhang and J. Lin. 2015. A simple molecular protocol for the identification of hybrid Western Atlantic seahorses, Hippocampus erectus × H. reidi, and potential consequences of hybrids for conservation. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 3(1):11-20. Koldewey H.J. and K.M. Martin-Smith. 2010. A global review of seahorse aquaculture. Aquaculture 302:131-152. Lin, J. and L.A. King. 2015. Retinal mapping of rod and cone photoreceptors in two Western Atlantic seahorses: Hippocampus erectus and H. reidi. Abstracts, World Aquaculture 2015, Jeju, Korea. FIGURE 4. Youth participant learning how to siphon a seahorse larvae tank at the Vero Beach Marine Laboratory’s Aquaculture, Biology, and Conservation Summer Camp. Photo by Céline Reitz. Large numbers of seahorses are consumed for medicinal purposes in China, as more studies find support for their pharmacological benefits. Dozens of large commercial-scale production companies have sprung up in the last two to three years, producing up to a million seahorses a year and numbers are increasing at a fast rate.
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