70-gallon living exhibit spotlights a Gulf of Maine habitat in steep decline
JUNE 18, 2026 – BLUE HILL, Maine — The Shaw Institute is excited to announce the newest addition to its Environmental Education Center: a living 70-gallon aquarium built around one of the Gulf of Maine’s most charismatic—and most overlooked—residents, the lined seahorse.
The new tank, which was made possible through funding from Clearview Energy, is now home to a group of male lined seahorses (Hippocampus erectus), a species native to the western Atlantic that reaches the northern edge of its range right here in the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine.
But the seahorses are only half the story. The tank features synthetic eelgrass, a replica of the real thing due to it being endangered. In the wild, it’s a ribbon-like flowering plant that forms one of the most productive and most threatened habitats along Maine’s coastline. The exhibit is designed to be a window into a living eelgrass meadow, the kind of sheltered, swaying habitat where seahorses anchor themselves with their tails and ambush tiny prey.
“Eelgrass meadows are disappearing from our coastline at a really alarming rate and it’s a crisis that affects everything from the food on our plate to the health of our entire ecosystem,” said Dr. Charlie Rolsky, Executive Director and Senior Research Scientist at the Shaw Institute. “This exhibit gives us a living, breathing way to showcase that story at the Institute. When someone falls in love with one of these seahorses and then learns that they depend on eelgrass, something shifts, and that’s the kind of shift we need.”
A Habitat Worth Protecting
Eelgrass meadows are the unsung nurseries of the Maine coast. Their dense roots hold the seafloor in place and guard against erosion, while their underwater canopy shelters young fish and countless invertebrates. Lose the eelgrass, and you lose the foundation of an entire coastal food web.
That loss is already underway. According to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, eelgrass in Casco Bay declined by roughly 54% between 2018 and 2022—shrinking from about 5,000 acres to fewer than 2,300 in just four years, a drop state scientists called “staggering.” Warming waters, pollution, and the spread of the invasive European green crab, which uproots eelgrass as it forages, are all driving the decline.
By recreating an eelgrass meadow at fingertip level, the Shaw Institute hopes to make a vanishing habitat feel close, tangible, and worth fighting for.
Meet the Seahorses
Lined seahorses are full of surprises. They swim upright, steer with a tiny fluttering fin, and have eyes that move independently like a chameleon’s. And in a twist that delights visitors of every age, it’s the males who carry and give birth to the young—which makes the Institute’s current all-male group an especially fitting introduction to one of the ocean’s great role reversals.
A Growing Meadow Community Is to Come
For now, the seahorses share their meadow with periwinkle snails, but the exhibit is just getting started. The Institute plans to introduce the seahorse’s slender cousin, the pipefish, along with other animals that make eelgrass their home—including stickleback fish, longclaw hermit crabs, and more. Over time, the tank will fill in as a small, self-contained portrait of a healthy Gulf of Maine eelgrass meadow.
“People expect seahorses to be something tropical and far away, so it’s a real thrill to tell them this one lives right off our own coast,” said Mikey Vittum, Lead Aquarist at the Shaw Institute. “What I love about this tank is that it lets us tell the whole story at once—the animal everyone falls for, and the eelgrass habitat it depends on that we’re quietly losing. If a kid leaves here caring about eelgrass because they fell in love with a seahorse, that’s a win.”
Come See Them
The new seahorse aquarium is on view now at the Shaw Institute’s Environmental Education Center in downtown Blue Hill, alongside the 200-gallon touch tank, marine mammal skeletons, interactive exhibits, original artwork, a gift shop, and lab tours. The Center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. Admission is currently free, but donations are welcome and needed. More details and directions are available at shawinstitute.org.
Frequently Asked Questions About Seahorses
Are seahorses native to Maine?
Yes. Lined seahorses (Hippocampus erectus) are found along the western Atlantic coast and reach the northern edge of their range in the Gulf of Maine.
Why are eelgrass meadows important?
Eelgrass meadows provide critical habitat for young fish, shellfish, and many marine species while helping stabilize shorelines and improve water quality.
Can visitors see the seahorses at the Shaw Institute?
Yes. The new seahorse aquarium is open to visitors at the Shaw Institute’s Environmental Education Center in downtown Blue Hill, Maine.
What other animals live in the exhibit?
Currently, the seahorses share the tank with periwinkle snails. Additional eelgrass meadow species, including pipefish and hermit crabs, may be added in the future.
When is the Shaw Institute Environmental Education Center open?
The Center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, though donations are welcome.
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