The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has warned that a rise in warm weather this summer is leading to more disturbances of seahorses, which are legally protected in UK waters. Anyone intending to seek out, dive for, snorkel with or photograph the animals must hold a wildlife licence, and the MMO says it is stepping up efforts to publicise this after seeing an increase in both accidental and deliberate encounters. Doing so without a licence could constitute an offence and lead to enforcement action, a warning that applies to divers, snorkellers and TV and film production companies alike.

Educational campaigns are being focused on Poole Harbour and Studland Bay in Dorset and Torbay in Devon, where some of the most significant seahorse populations live. The Seahorse Trust's founder, Neil Garrick-Maidment, said a "brilliant summer" had brought more people into the water, and that publicity around Studland Bay's no-anchor zone and eco-moorings had also drawn attention to the area. He advised anyone who finds a seahorse in a crab net to return it to the water quickly, and urged the public to keep their distance and avoid flash photography if they encounter one while diving or snorkelling, while also reporting sightings to the National Seahorse Database.