THE sea off the coast of Hampshire may appear cold and murky, but it is in fact full of fantastic wildlife.

People are always amazed when I show them pictures of the rainbow-coloured fish, pretty anemones and comical looking crabs that live right on our doorstep.

There are many marine creatures I love to talk about, but in this article I’d like to introduce you to my three favourites.

First up is the seahorse.

With their upright body, long snout and flexible tail, seahorses are a differentlooking type of fish.

They are notoriously difficult to spot as they have a knack of resembling a piece of seaweed swaying in the current.

They use their curly tail to cling onto seaweed and it also comes in useful with their courtship dance.

Seahorses pair for life and to reinforce their bond, they perform a courtship dance every morning, circling around each other or spiralling around an object.

I suppose it’s equivalent to us giving our loved one a morning kiss, although the courtship dance can last up to an hour!

Unusually in the animal kingdom, it’s the male seahorses which carry the eggs and give birth to the young.

The female transfers the eggs to the male’s pouch where he fertilises the eggs and nurtures them until the young seahorses are born.

Next up, there’s the cuttlefish.

Cuttlefish are amazing animals. They are related to the squid and similarly have a set of eight arms plus two tentacles.

Cuttlefish are the chameleons of the sea. Moving from one environment to another they can change their colour and their texture to ensure they blend in.

Cuttlefish only have one bone in their body and if you enjoy a stroll along a beach, look out for these white oval cuttlebones washed up on the shore.

Finally, I’d like to tell you about the seals that live off our coast.

We estimate there are about 25 harbour seals resident in the Solent area, plus a handful of grey seals regularly visit our coastline.

You have a chance to see these seals when they are hauled out on beaches around the coast.

Our harbours – Portsmouth, Langstone and Chichester – are favourite spots for seals to rest up on the mudflats.

Seals are strong, agile swimmers. They forage along our coastline for fish and crabs, holding their breath for up to ten minutes on each dive.

Right now, you have a unique opportunity to help our local marine life by supporting the creation of Marine Conservation Zones.

Six areas have been recommended off the coast of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to provide a sanctuary for our marine wildlife.

A three-month consultation will be taking place in early 2015 but before then we need as much public support as possible.

To pledge your support and to help ensure the Government designates all these vital areas, please sign up to become a friend of Marine Conservation Zones at wildlifetrusts.org/MCZfriends