Population Viability Analysis of the Dwarf Seahorse, Hippocampus Zosterae, in Florida

Assessments of population status are uncommon for seahorses due to the demands of other more important commercial and recreational species such as groupers and snappers. As a result, the dwarf seahorse has not undergone a formal population assessment to determine its status, and it is unlikely any such formal assessment will be conducted. Thus, we conducted a population viability analysis (PVA) to evaluate the status of dwarf seahorse in Florida, by examining the effect of commercial harvest, habitat loss, and potential catastrophes (i.e., harmful algal blooms and acute cold mortality events). We also examined the future status of the dwarf seahorse in Florida exploring both optimistic and pessimistic simulations.