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Project Leader – Seahorse ScienceProject Seahorse Research UnitProject Seahorse DegreesMSc in Biology and Management of Marine Resources, specialty in Aquaculture, from University of Lisbon, Portugal |
Contact Information
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia
AERL, 2202 Main Mall, V6T 1Z4
Vancouver, British Columbia
Email: m.correia@oceans.ubc.ca
Website: Project Seahorse
Social Media
Twitter: @MiguelJTCorreia
Biography
Since 2007, I have participated actively in a captive breeding program of the two European seahorse species, as well as other syngnathid species. The knowledge acquired in the last decade allowed to create a robust and solid breeding and maintenance protocol of seahorses in captivity.
During my PhD, I studied the impact of environmental variables on seahorse abundance, distribution, and habitat, developed less invasive methods (photo identification) to better study seahorses in the wild, and designed habitat restoration tools (artificial holdfast) to propose mitigation actions for habitat loss and degradation.
Since the completion of my PhD, I participated in many research multidisciplinary projects, both as PI and researcher, with thematic that ranged from aquaculture, ecology, population dynamics, socio-economy, and effects of climate change on marine species. I have been working with relevant stakeholders to expand the current knowledge of seahorse distribution, such as dive centers, maritime tourism companies and fishermen communities, while promoting best practices and Blue Economy. I also have acted as scientific advisor for policy makers which ultimately resulted in the implementation of marine protected areas (MPA) to act as sanctuaries for seahorses, and the legal classification of syngnathids as protected species on a national level.
I am a member of the IUCN Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group, acting as Focal point for Field Conservation, which provides support for IUCN Red Listing assessments namely, to reassess the current status of Data Deficient for the European seahorse species and to provide guidance in several aspects of syngnathid conservation. This group has highly skilled syngnathid specialists that provide support in planning conservation actions and allow access to decision makers and relevant stakeholders that are responsible for implementing these actions.
Research Interests
Dr. Correia has studied several aspects of European seahorse biology, ecology and conservation. He has worked closely with stakeholders to implement mitigation tools for seahorse conservation and was actively involved in the creation of new marine protected areas (MPAs). He also acts as Programme Officer and Focal Point for Field Conservation in the IUCN Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group. He is the Project Leader for Seahorse Science for Project Seahorse.
Publications
Ascione, S. J., Camins, E., Correia, M. & Vincent, A. C. J. (2026). The state of knowledge on four families of Syngnathoidei fishes (Teleostei: Syngnathiformes): Aulostomidae, Centriscidae, Fistulariidae and Solenostomidae. Journal of Fish Biology 109, 400-449.
Palma, J., Hachero-Cruzado, I., Correia, M. & Andrade, J. P. (2026). The Copepod/Artemia Trade-Off in the Culture of Long Snouted Seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus. Fishes 11, 72.
Peiffer, F., Assis, J., Lima, A. R. A., Henriques, S., Pardal, M. A., Martinho, F., Gonçalves, J. M. S., Gonçalves, E. J., Correia, M. & Silva, G. J. F. (2025). Projected climate change and limited dispersal potential threaten the seahorse species Hippocampus hippocampus and Hippocampus guttulatus. Marine Biology 172.
Oliveira, J. M., Sá, R., Correia, M. & Silva, G. (2025). Investigating stakeholders’ perceptions regarding seahorses’ conservation and conflicts in an European estuarine environment. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 104283.
Camins, E., Correia, M. & Amanda (2025). Harnessing Community Science for Seahorse Population Monitoring: Insights From the iSeahorse Programme in Tampa Bay. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 35.
Palma, J., Correia, M., Leitão, F. & Andrade, J. P. (2024). Temperature Effects on Growth Performance, Fecundity and Survival of Hippocampus guttulatus. Diversity 16, 719.
Palma, J., Correia, M., Andrade, J. P. & Bureau, D. (2024). Replacement of Fish Meal with Crustacean Meals in Diets for Long-Snouted Seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus: Digestibility and Growth Performance. Fishes 9, 383.
Miranda, L. M., Correia, M., Barraca, C., Baylina, N. & Faria, A. M. (2024). Prolonged exposure to elevated temperature leads to severe thermal stress in the broad-nosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle. Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology, 1-16.
Peiffer, F., Lima, A. R. A., Henriques, S., Pardal, M. A., Martinho, F., Gonçalves, J. M. S., Gonçalves, E. J., Correia, M. & Silva, G. J. F. (2024). Habitat suitability of two flagship species, Hippocampus hippocampus and Hippocampus guttulatus, in the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula – implications for conservation. Global Ecology and Conservation 53, e02993.
Camins, E., Stanton, L. M., Correia, M., Foster, S. J., Koldewey, H. J. & Vincent, A. C. J. (2024). Advances in life-history knowledge for 35 seahorse species from community science. Journal of Fish Biology 104, 1548-1565.
Costa, A. B., Correia, M., Silva, G., Lopes, A. F. & Faria, A. M. (2023). Performance of the long-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus, under warming conditions. Frontiers in Marine Science 10.
Kalisiak, J., Gray, I., Bruget, R. & Correia, M. (2022). The use of non-invasive sampling to estimate long-term abundance of Hippocampus kuda in the Koh Sdach Archipelago, Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 47-58.
Correia, M. (2021). Monitoring of seahorse populations, in the Ria Formosa lagoon (Portugal), reveals steep fluctuations: Potential causes and future mitigations. Proceedings of the Zoological Society.
Cabral, A., Ricardo, F., Patinha, C., da Silva, E., Correia, M., Palma, J., Planas, M. & Calado, R. (2021). Successful use of geochemical tools to trace the geographic origin of long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus raised in captivity. Animals, 11 (6), 1534.
Stacy, R., Palma J., Correia, M., Wilson, A. B., Andrade, J. P. & Castilho, R. (2021). The paradox of retained genetic diversity of Hippocampus guttulatus in the face of demographic decline. Scientific Reports 11 (1), 10434.
Correia, M., Antunes, D., Andrade, J. P., Palma, J. (2021). A crown for each monarch: a distinguishable pattern using photo-identification. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 104 (2), 195-201.
Correia, M., Paulo, D., Samara, E., Koulouri, P., Mentogiannis, V. & Dounas, C. (2020). Field studies of seahorse population density, structure and habitat use in a semi-closed north-eastern Mediterranean marine area (Stratoni, north Aegean Sea). Journal of Fish Biology 97 (1), 314-317.
Palma, J., Magalhães, M., Correia, M. & Andrade, J. P. (2019). Effects of anthropogenic noise as a source of acoustic stress in wild populations of Hippocampus guttulatus in the Ria Formosa, South Portugal. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 29 (5), 751-759. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3056
Correia, M., Campoy, A., Madeira, C. & Andrade, J. P. (2018). Is filament clipping an effective tool for tissue sampling in Hippocampus guttulatus? Environmental Biology of Fishes 101 (10), 1517–1523.
Correia, M., Koldewey, H., Andrade, J. P., Esteves, E. & Palma, J. (2018). Identifying key environmental variables of two seahorse species (Hippocampus guttulatus and Hippocampus hippocampus) in the Ria Formosa Lagoon, South Portugal. Environmental Biology of Fishes 101 (9), 1357-1367.
Woodall, L. C., Otero-Ferrer, F., Correia, M., Curtis, J. M. R., Garrick-Maidment, N., Shaw, P. W. & Koldewey, H. J. (2018). A synthesis of European seahorse taxonomy, population structure, and habitat use as a basis for assessment, monitoring and conservation. Marine Biology 165, 1-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-017-3274-y
Correia, M., Koldewey, H., Andrade, J. P. & Palma, J. (2016). A novel underwater visual census: seahorse population survey as a case study. Regional Studies in Marine Science 8 (3), 454-458.
Correia, M., Palma, J. & Andrade J.P. (2016) Growth performance of the early life stages of broad-nosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle (L.) fed different live or frozen diets. Aquaculture Research 47 (5), 1652-1660. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/are.12635
Correia, M., Caldwell, I., Koldewey, H., Andrade, J. P. & Palma, J. (2015). Seahorse (Hippocampinae) population fluctuations in the Ria Formosa Lagoon, south Portugal. Journal of Fish Biology 87, 679-690.
Correia, M., Koldewey, H., Andrade, J. P. & Palma, J. (2015). Effects of artificial holdfast units on seahorse density in the Ria Formosa lagoon, Portugal. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 471, 1-7.
Correia, M., Palma, J., Koldewey, H. & Andrade, J. P. (2014). The use of a non-invasive tool for capture- recapture studies on a seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus population. Journal of Fish Biology 84, 872-884.
Correia, M., Palma, J., Koldewey, H. & Andrade, J. P. (2013). Can artificial holdfast units work as a habitat restoration tool for long-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier)? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 448, 258-264.
Caldwell, I. R., Correia, M., Palma, J. & Vincent, A. C. J. (2011). Advances in tagging syngnathids, with the effect of dummy tags on behaviour of Hippocampus guttulatus. Journal of Fish Biology 78, 1769-1785.
Palma, J., Bureau, D. P., Correia, M. & Andrade, J. P. (2009). Effects of temperature, density and early weaning on the survival and growth of Atlantic ditch shrimp Palaemonetes varians larvae. Aquaculture Research 40 (13), 1468-1473.
Palma, J., Stockdale, J., Correia, M. & Andrade, J. P. (2008). Growth and survival of adult long snout seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus) using frozen diets. Aquaculture 278, 55-59.
Correia, M., Palma, J. & Andrade, J. P. (2008) Effects of live prey availability on growth and survival in early stages of cuttlefish Sepia officinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) life cycle. Aquaculture Research 39, 33-40.
Correia, M., Palma, J., Kirakowski, T. & Andrade, J. P. (2008) Effects of prey nutritional quality on the growth and survival of juvenile cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis (Linnaeus, 1758). Aquaculture Research 39, 869-876.
Palma, J., Correia, M. & Andrade, J. P. (2008). Usefulness of flat bottom tanks on the settlement of spider crab (Maja squinado, Herbst) larvae. Aquaculture Research 39, 1005-1008.
Sykes, A. V., Domingues, P. M., Correia, M. & Andrade, J. P. (2006) Cuttlefish Culture – state of the art and future trends. Vie et Milieu – Life & Environment 56 (2), 129-137.
Correia, M., Domingues, P., Sykes, A. & Andrade, J. P. (2005) Effects of culture density on growth and broodstock management of the cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis (Linnaeus, 1758). Aquaculture 245 (1-4), 163- 173.
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