Mitigating habitat impacts for the endangered White’s Seahorse

White’s Seahorse Hotels

Found in shallow water estuaries and coastal embayments, The White’s Seahorse, or Hippocampus whitei, is endemic to the east coast of Australia. In July 2019, it became the first and only species in the Syngnathidae family to be listed as endangered, which grants it additional protection in Australia under state and commonwealth legislation. Any development or activities that require consent or approval under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 must consider White’s Seahorse and its habitat.

Driven by this new industry requirement, our team had the skills and experience and ability to obtain the appropriate permits to deliver an end-to-end seahorse management service. This included installing seahorse hotels, which are used to help recover population and habitat, as well as relocation of the species—essentially moving them out of harm’s way.

Common projects when the White's Seahorse must be considered include wharf construction or upgrades, dredging, foreshore, or maritime construction projects. In recent months, we’ve delivered these services for government departments in New South Wales and Queensland.

The White’s Seahorse is protected under the New South Wales Fisheries Management Act 1994 and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.