A long-snouted seahorse, also known as a spiny seahorse has been spotted off the Devon coast in what scientists are calling a "super rare" occurrence.
The seahorse was found during a seagrass habitat monitoring dive carried out by marine biologists from the Ocean Conservation Trust.
Due to environmental changes such as the destruction of seagrass habitat, there has been a sharp decline in the seahorse population and this once common marine species is becoming increasingly rare.
In fact, they are so rare that Mark Parry, a Development Officer at the Ocean Conservation Trust, says it's the first time he's seen one in his seven years of diving.
Rare Seahorse seen off the Devon coast (Image: Mark Parry – Ocean Conservation Trust)You can stay up to date on the top news near you with DevonLive's FREE newsletters – enter your email address at the top of the page or sign up to our newsletters here
He said: "After seven years of working in seagrass conservation for the Ocean Conservation Trust it was humbling to experience this rare seahorse sighting, as it highlights the significance of what we’re trying to do with our seagrass restoration work."
To protect local marine ecosystems, the Ocean Conservation Trust has been restoring seagrass meadows along the South West coastline and raising awareness about the environmental importance of healthy seagrass beds.
Seagrasses are an essential nursery habitat for marine species, they also absorb 35 times more carbon dioxide than forests and hold it in the sediment for thousands of years.
The Ocean Conservation Trust have released a photo of the seahorse to help the public, and the G7 leaders, understand the beautiful and fragile ecosystem that exists just a few metres from the UK shoreline.
The Ocean Conservation Trust is calling for the G7 to ensure that the Ocean is not forgotten during the important upcoming discussions.
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