The BBC is at it again. Today its website features an article with the heading “Why our changing weather could be bad for seahorses”. As so often seems to be the case, it’s yet another piece that seeks to make a story about climate change where one doesn’t exist. The opening paragraphs (which offer no evidence at all in support of their claims) seek to instil a sense of worry (if not despair) in readers of the article:

The increasing chances of more severe storms could put the South’s seagrass meadows at risk.

Work to recover the precious habitat at sites such as Studland Bay in Dorset has seen encouraging signs of species, including seahorses, returning.

But potential damage to the seagrass due to shifting weather patterns could put that recovery under threat.

While the unique marine flowering plant can help reduce the erosion of the seabed in shallow water it is vulnerable to stormy weather.

The reality, of course is rather different. The article links to another BBC article, with the more honest and accurate headline advising that “Rare seahorse numbers reach post-pandemic high”. As the earlier article makes clear, the threat to seahorses is from people, and their activities, not from stormy weather that may (or may not) be increasing:

The absence of boats and people in Studland Bay during lockdown meant seahorse numbers peaked in 2020 but quickly diminished when restrictions were eased….

…Mr Garrick-Maidment said: “We worked out that the site was holding 46 seahorses then but sadly, within weeks of lockdown unlocking, the seahorses were gone.”

That was last year. Only last month yet another BBC article was headlined “Legal warning after rise in seahorse disturbances”. From this article we learn:

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) said it was stepping up efforts to inform people of the law after an increase in reported incidents, both accidental and deliberate….

…A MMO spokesperson said: “We have seen an increase in incidents where people have unintentionally encountered seahorses whilst in the water, or whilst crabbing.

“We’ve also seen people diving or snorkelling with the likely specific intention to film or photograph seahorses.

“This sort of intentional activity is likely to disturb seahorses, would potentially constitute an offence and would require a wildlife licence.”

MMO head of marine wildlife conservation Jess Churchill-Bissett said: “We can understand the fascination people have with our native seahorse species, however, they are incredibly vulnerable and fragile marine animals that are easily disturbed by human activities….”…

Back to today’s BBC piece, and we are told (without links or evidence) that:

Climate experts are predicting the UK could see winter storms increasing in number and intensity….

Next we are treated to a sentence to the effect that the Met Office has warned that the strong El Niño that is currently developing is likely to be the strongest in living memory. Then we are told that easterly winds can cause problems for the sea grass that the seahorses rely on during the breeding season. The effect (perhaps also the intention) is to link the natural El Niño event to existing and speculative future climate change.

Yet the reality (as the article concludes by acknowledging) is that “at Studland the signs are encouraging” for seahorses. The three BBC articles linked together demonstrate that human activity is the main problem for seahorses. Removing it from the equation sees them thriving. Even Bob Ward (Policy and Communications Director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science), who is probably as concerned about climate change as anyone, has acknowledged in an article in May last year about “Dorset’s Shifting Shores” acknowledges that “…there is currently no evidence of a trend in windspeeds during storms that hit Britain...”.

The Seahorse Trust has carried out a huge amount of work at Studland Bay, as can be seen by reading its special newsletter about it. Anchor scar reduction is rapidly ongoing, and in what seems to be direct correlation, the numbers of seahorse sightings there are increasing. A handy graph at the top left of page 7 of the newsletter demonstrates this very clearly.

So come on BBC. Stick to reporting the facts. Stop speculating wildly about climate change. Celebrate good news about nature. And most of all, stop trying to scare us.