In the Company of Seahorses by Steve Trewhella

In the Company of Seahorses by Steve Trewhella

Seahorses are instantly recognisable and have been a part of our culture for millennia, yet we still know very little about these enigmatic creatures.

Steve Trewhella and Julie Hatcher have spent hundreds of hours in British waters observing native seahorses, witnessing at first hand how they behave in the wild, and how they interact with the other plants and animals in their underwater realm.

With stunning photography, In the Company of Seahorses paints a rich picture of a mysterious world amongst swaying seagrass and colourful seaweeds. The accompanying text is packed with personal anecdotes describing the authors' journey of discovery, illustrating for the first time the secretive lives of these elusive animals in British waters.

By sharing one couple's passion for an entrancing ocean icon, this book aims to inspire, inform and create a better understanding of the seahorse and its often vulnerable habitats around the British coastline.

Steve Trewhella is a diver and photographer specialising in British marine life above and below the waves. He is a keen naturalist and when not diving enjoys beachcombing, rockpooling and recording strandline and coastal invertebrates. His beachcombing finds include new species records for the UK and new information about the distribution of wildlife endemic to strandlines. His images are used
in publications all over the world and he has worked as a contributor on many natural history television features. His work can be viewed at www.ukcoastalwildlife.co.uk

Julie Hatcher is a marine biologist working in marine conservation in Dorset. Her work involves raising awareness of the marine environment and marine and coastal wildlife in the UK, and she has written many articles for newspapers and magazines, as well as designing interpretation panels, posters and leaflets. She also leads guided rockpool rambles and seashore identification training courses, and has been a scuba diver for many years, mostly in the UK.

Steve and Julie met in 2004 since when they have jointly organised projects to record
Pink Sea Fan skeletons, long-haul litter and strandline invertebrates as well as carrying out dive surveys for seahorses and stalked jellyfish. Their combined knowledge and interest in beachcombing has developed over many years, fuelled by inspirational characters along the way. A desire to share their understanding of this fascinating activity has led to this book.