EUROSYNG

Syngnathids (seahorses, pipefish, pipehorses and seadragons) are part of a diverse family of teleost fish, easily recognizable by their unique mode of reproduction, male pregnancy. Within European waters, there are approximately 18 syngnathid species, 55% listed as Data Deficient and 83% with unknown current population status. These numbers perfectly showcase the knowledge gap on the health of our coastal ecosystems which severely restricts our ability to detect, reverse or avoid hypothetical perturbations. In EUROSYNG, we will assist European states in following the requirements of the IUCN resolution WCC-2020-Res-095 by providing a clear portrait of syngnathid population status within Europe. To do so, we will offer a chronological view of syngnathid distribution (spanning the past, present and future), measure present day population health and connectivity, using both traditional (e.g., museum data, population censuses) and state of the art methodologies (e.g., genomics). Population genomics relying on genome re-sequencing of approximately 5000 individuals, mapped on existing and newly generated high-quality chromosome level genomes, will provide crucial insights into the health status, connectivity and migration potential of European syngnathid populations. These data will allow for a critical look into existing MPAs while assisting in the creation of new protected areas that can help mitigate the effects of climate change. Using syngnathids as flagship species, we will profit from the public’s emotional connection to these iconic creatures to raise awareness to local and global conservation issues, namely the foreseeable impacts of climate change, and boost both ocean literacy and interest in consequential citizen science. Furthermore, we will develop new tools to support blue economy, including nature tourism, and help mediate the inescapable interactions between syngnathids, nature enthusiasts and fishermen. Our data will assist in transparent decision-making processes leading to the creation of progressive legislation that takes the interest of human and syngnathid populations into consideration. EUROSYNG gathers syngnathid specialists, with complementary expertise, from 7 European countries (that will sample 10 countries), together with a vast array of partner stakeholders. This proposal aims at providing tools that will be useful not only for the surveyed countries (e.g., national red listing), but also for IUCN (global red listing) and the EU as we will produce the first detailed image of syngnathid populations health. Combining distribution data from the past, present and future, we will assist the EU in better targeting its 30 by 30 goals, showcasing areas that should be protected given the current climate change scenarios, while testing new conservation tools.