Boat moorings ‘damaging bay seahorse sites’ (From Bournemouth Echo)

What a load of rubbish! I have known this bay since the early 60s ..there were seahores there then and loads of boats moored in the bay every summer ..seems funny this has come out now with all these new funding options for research available ..why doesnt someone take an aerial photograph of the seagrass off the south bay and you'll see how extensive it is ..divers have recently been observed taking photos close inshore where there has never been much seagrass ..one must ask is it a set up to gain hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding? Are the public being deceived..?So many questions ...

I am amazed that you should publish such a one sided and inaccurate account featuring the unsupported opinion of one person.

The known facts are. Anchoring does damage eel grass - plenty of scientific evidence of this, so no need to carry out any more work.

The size of the eel grass beds in Studland has grown significantly over the last 3 years.

The seahorse population seems to be thriving and numbers growing, and indeed the Seahorse Trust now claims Studland has the highest density of seahorses in the world.

So why does Mr Trewhella claim that the population is under threat, when on the evidence h e has collected exactly the opposite is the case.

He should be rejoicing in the fact that seahorses and yachtsmen can co-exist. Yachts have anchored in this bay for generations, with numbers probably increasing over the last 30 years or so.

But the seahorse population keeps on increasing.

There are many other marine species that have declined over the years - for example razor clams seem to have almost disappeared from Studland.

Where is the cry to protect them?

Newspapers should be here to inform, not a platform for single issue zealots.

Save this, save that! Most environ are scare mongers, look at the way they've handled global warming (another TAX awaits in the wings). You can't protect every single creature on this planet. Seahorses will go elsewhere if it gets to rough for them but as the above comments have stated that doesn't seem to be the case.
S/word:Pull-mine

Perhaps the public finances (lottery grant)which I hear is going to be used for financing this project could be redirected into setting up an RNLI Lifeguard station on Studland beach. Instead of a wild goose chase, put human life at sea first ...all those miles of beach and not a lifeguard in sight or rescue a boat. even the lifeboats have to come from Swanage ,its about time the general public were given prioity over these so called enviromental issues.

I have been asked by a female aqua-tance to print this..."We have been studying with interest on our deep-sea web site GOGGLE the many reports in your newspaper regarding damage caused by boats anchoring in our home, under the cliff on the South side of Studland Bay ,to our habitat and one of our neighbours the SEAHORSES.We wish to advise that Seahorses have lived in the Bay since 1961 when the national media carried pictures of one caught by a local fisherman in his lobster pot. We have noted with interest the claim by some that our Bay has the highest density of Seahorses in the world ..suggest you travel to Porec Croatia the bay there is full of seagrass/eel grass and seahorses that far out number our friends in Studland Bay.The Seahorses seem quite happy increasing in numbers over the years,due to the warmer climate and the current conditions in the prevailing in the bay...ie boats mooring in their neighbourhood during the summer months.Mums and Dads and children with their prawning nets at low tide trying to catch our friends the prawns in the seagrass..North and Easterly gales blowing in Summer and Winter bringing the seagrass ashore in huge volumes. The so called damage caused by anchors is open to question by us sea dwellers and local humans alike.Proof of our increase of population over the years proves this is the case does it not?
Lately howverthe Seahoprses have been targeted by creatures in black rubber suits with tanks on their backs catching them and causing them great pain by tagging them and monitoring them on a regular basis(daily)causing further distress by their presence.They do not welcome this and would cask to be left well alone, and would ask the so called DOGOODERS to MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS and stop the proposed Sea star survey which will only create even more unwanted disruption to them.
We are happy with the situation as it has been for at least the last 50 years..JUST GO AWAY AND LEAVE US IN PEACE..
Signed THE LITTLE MERMAID in SOUTH BAY STUDLAND"

Ouch !!!
Some people really don't like the idea of conserving anything no they ?
does purbeckpara have a boat that he takes to studland ?
I have never said its the largest seahourse population in the world, don't know where that came from.
It is the largest breeding population in the uk, and it is protected by law.
All we want is protection put in place.
I am glad that there arn't many purbeckpara's left in the world, its because of people like this , that the planet is in such a mess.
He thinks experts in conservation are the same as chunky sweater wearing hippies who have nothing better to do with their time.
How misguided.
We have the evidence that this habitat is being damaged.
There is nothing to say the population has gone up in numbers, we have just been looking harder.
Its a bit of a cop out thinking 'lots of boats,lots of seahorses' lets just leave it alone.
If only it was that simple.
I have never said that they are new to the bay ?
We do not cause them 'great pain' when they are tagged.
It would seem that some people just want to carry on trashing the enviroment for thier own selfish reasons. Thank god they are a minority.

They say truth hurts don't they mmm ...Are you set to gain financially out of this research ? or are you services for free ? I've seen some of your photographs of alleged damage to the sea bed / sea grass ...very interesting indeed ..but just go and get someone to get an aerial shot of the seagrass beds in the bay so everyone gets the true picture of whats been happening in the bay over the last 50 years ..if you are right in your calculations there shouldn't be any sea grass left in the bay at all by now ...What about all that seagrass in the Solent you photographed for the Hampshire Wildlife Trust is that being destroyed?

Ouch

We are touchy Steve!

I know you cannot bear anybody questioning your own limited view of the world.

You need, however, to be consistent with your own propoganda.From your own material on the Seahorse Trust site I quote

"...Steve Trewhella and... discovered seahorses on the site in 2005" and "The bay has a very large concentration of Seahorses; over 40 in 2008 alone... nowhere else in the British Isles or indeed for that matter in the world; except the Rio Formosa in Portugal is there this concentration of Seahorses"

You cannot have it both ways. You cannot have the second highest concentration in the world and growing numbers and "under threat" from an activity that has at least remained constant and probably increased - all at the same time.

You have also failed to find any connection between the level of anchoring activity and the size of the eel grass meadows other than observing correctly that anchoring (and moorings) causes localised damage.

So your suggestion that seahorses are "under threat from anchoring" is only your personal opinion.

And constant dismissal of any body that expresses an alternate view does you no favours

Well first we had the Lobster Liberation Front ..now we have the Ban the Boats Brigade ,I wonder if the two are connected..????