The Seahorse (Hippocampus spp.) as a Model for Tropical Aquaculture with a Conservation Approach
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https://doi.org/10.19136/ta.a4n1.5760Keywords:
Hippocampus sppAbstract
Aquaculture in tropical regions has historically been promoted under frameworks oriented toward economic profitability, while biodiversity conservation has been treated as a separate sphere from the productive use of natural resources. This dichotomy is particularly problematic in tropical coastal-estuarine contexts, where the well-being of human communities and the integrity of ecosystems are closely interconnected. This paper proposes Hippocampus spp. as a model for conservation-oriented tropical aquaculture, not aimed at industrial production, but at the use of cultivation as a tool for conservation, environmental education, and the generation of diversified social and economic benefits. The model is structured around three core components: (i) Hippocampus spp. as a flagship species and an articulating organism linking biodiversity, knowledge, and territory; (ii) a tripartite governance framework based on the functional articulation among organized communities, academic institutions, and the State; and (iii) a logic of multiple benefit flows, in which ecological, social, and indirect economic returns are prioritized over the maximization of production volumes. The cultivation of Hippocampus spp. is highlighted as a socioecological sustainability model in the face of the socioenvironmental crisis, integrating conservation, responsible use of biodiversity, and territorial well-being in tropical contexts, based on a conceptual and synthetic review of the specialized scientific literature
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