Environmentalists find out the cause of seahorses' death on Odesa beaches

Ecologists have investigated the massive stranding of seahorses on the coast of Odesa. They are finding out what happened to the rare animals and whether it threatens the ecosystem.

This was reported by the press service of the State Ecological Inspectorate of the Southwestern District.

A massive release of dead seahorses was recorded on the Black Sea coast in Odesa. The incident occurred on January 27, 2026, in the area from Lanzheron Beach to the 16th station of the Big Fountain. Among the affected individuals is Hippocampus guttulatus, a species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

The State Ecological Inspectorate of the South-Western District responded promptly to the situation: experts surveyed the coastal zone and took sea water samples for laboratory analysis. The Inspectorate turned to the Institute of Marine Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for a scientific opinion on the causes of the mass death of seahorses.

According to the results of the study, toxic water pollution is practically excluded. Experts believe that the most likely cause of the deaths was a powerful southeast storm that preceded the incident. Strong waves combined with low water temperature, limited mobility of seahorses, lack of natural shelters in winter, and high population size led to the animals being detached from the substrate, washed ashore, and died.

Laboratory analysis of the seawater confirmed the absence of chemical pollution:

• The concentration of suspended solids, total iron, ammonium nitrogen, nitrates, nitrites and phosphates is within normal limits;
• Dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅) - no deviations;
• pH and salinity - within acceptable limits;
• no hydrogen sulfide was detected in the water samples.

According to ecologists, the inspectorate continues to monitor the state of the coastal environment and cooperates with scientific institutions to timely and objectively assess environmental events.

Seahorses once disappeared from the Gulf of Odesa due to industrial and chemical pollution, and the population's recovery began only in 2017. Now the war and its aftermath have created new stress for the coastal ecosystem. According to ecologist Vladyslav Balinsky, the accumulation of dead animals on the shore does not necessarily reflect the actual place of their death.

Анна Бальчінос