Seahorses as flagship species in the largest hypersaline lagoon in South America

The flagship species concept is based on the perceived "charisma" of species. While certain attributes have been proposed to predict charisma, support for conservation of flagship species is often driven by local and context-specific factors. The largest hypersaline lagoon in South America has been considered for restoration programs after suffering from decades of urban development and pollution. Recently, the seahorse Hippocampus reidi was reported in the lagoon, generating significant public attention. Inspired by marketing theory, we conducted a study to evaluate people's preferences for various species inhabiting the lagoon. In a choice experiment, participants were shown high-resolution photographs of ten species, including the seahorse, and asked to rank their top three preferred species (most preferred = 3, second most preferred = 2, and third most preferred = 1), as well as their three least preferred species (least preferred = -3, second least preferred = -2, and third least preferred = -1). We calculated a flagship score for each species based on these rankings and compared them using ANOVA. The seahorse had a significantly higher flagship score than all other species, with its intrinsic aesthetic beauty being the main reason for its preference according to participants. This interest in seahorses presents a unique opportunity to apply the flagship species concept as a conservation fundraising strategy, promoting a biocentric perspective of the largest hypersaline lagoon in South America.