The photograph, taken by Julie Hatcher, shows one of the unusual creatures which call the region’s coastal habitats home. The Solent is home to two species – the spiny seahorse and the short-snouted seahorse. After several weeks, the male releases hundreds of juvenile seahorses into the coastal waters, where they begin life among the Solent’s seagrass meadows. These underwater habitats are vital to seahorses but face threats from pollution, coastal development and human activity. Protecting seagrass is therefore crucial to the future of the species in Hampshire’s waters.