Project Seahorse
“[T]he real story here is the profile of sustainability, as scientists, fishers, and practitioners of traditional medicine align efforts to preserve the coral reef ecosystems.”
The Horn Book, starred review
About the Book
Seahorses, some of the ocean’s oddest yet most charming fish, are in trouble. Over the past twenty years seahorse populations have declined sharply. In Handumon, a community in the Philipppines, villagers and conservationists have joined together to protect the seahorse and the coral reefs where these quirky fish live. Scientists Amanda Vincent and Heather Koldewey, founders of Project Seahorse, work tirelessly with Filipino colleagues and local fishers to protect both Handumon’s seahorses and the livelihood of local fishing families.
Awards and Recognition
- Kirkus Reviews starred review
- National Science Teachers Association Outstanding Trade Science Book
- Cybils Nonfiction Nominee
- Junior Library Guild Selection
Reviews
Kirkus Reviews starred review
“With striking images of coral-reef inhabitants, this photo-essay introduces Project Seahorse, an international effort to protect and rehabilitate the Danajon Bank, a double reef off a Philippine Island where seahorses once flourished … In information-rich chapters and more narrowly focused double-page insets, the author explains the curious seahorse biology (males give birth), the development of Marine Protected Areas, the lives of local fishers and their families, the use of seahorses in traditional Chinese medicine and local efforts to improve these refuges … another splendid demonstration of the work of Scientists in the Field.”
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books review
“Turner capably blends the natural science and advocacy topics; there’s a generous amount of information about seahorses and a thoughtful assessment of the challenges of realistic environmental protection.”
The Horn Book review
“In Turner’s latest contribution to the Scientists in the Field series, we follow a conservation group—Project Seahorse—in their efforts to preserve seahorses, coastal reefs, and the fishing-based livelihood of the residents of Handumon, in the Philippines … although our entry point is the delicately appealing seahorses, portrayed beautifully by Tuason’s underwater photography, the real story here is the profile of sustainability, as scientists, fishers, and practitioners of traditional medicine align their efforts to preserve the coral reef ecosystems without compromising the livelihoods of people in the Philippines and China.”
photographs by Scott Tuason
Scientists in the Field
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010
hardcover ISBN 978–0547207131
paperback ISBN 978–0544225800
