Sun, Sand and Seahorses
This summer we have teamed up with The Marbella Club, the iconic beachfront resort in Andalusia with an exclusive partnership to help the resort's remarkable seahorse repopulation project in collaboration with marine conservation research centre Aula del Mar "Classroom of the Sea".
The project has the long-term goal of contributing to the conservation of seahorses in the Mediterranean Sea and their associated habitats and increasing awareness around seahorse conservation. Part of the proceeds from the collection sales and sales at The Marbella Club Beach throughout the summer will directly benefit Aula del Mar and help finance the project. Love Brand is also contributing funds to the conservation initiative as part of our promise to donate 1% of our revenue to charity each year as a member of 1% for the Planet. The print breaks out of the boutique and is found at touch points around the property including on cushion covers for the sun beds and inside the beach boutique which also hosts a Love Brand pop-up shop this summer.
The initiative will see ten seahorses placed in a specialised culture tank at the hotel that recreates their natural environment, where studies will be undertaken into seahorse ecology and behaviour. Breeding will also be encouraged away from the threats that are driving the species to extinction, including extensive habitat loss and capture in trawler nets used in fishing. Once two seahorses have successfully paired and bred, the offspring will be released back into the wild off the coast of Portugal, as part of an established reintroduction programme that has already identified suitable areas where seahorse populations can thrive. In tandem, Aula del Mar and volunteers from The Marbella Club will carry out research into seahorse populations, threats and habitat conditions in the Costa del Sol region, with the aim of re-establishing seabed grasses and prairie land, so that seahorses can eventually be repopulated within Spanish waters.
Our seahorse love affair doesn't stop there. The exclusive print of seahorses forming hearts can also be found on cushions around the hotel at the MC Beach Club. Oliver Tomalin, Love Brand co-founder and designer explains "We are so excited to see our prints break free of the boutique. Now our idea of keeping endangered wildlife on people's agenda through print has been turbo-charged by placing our prints at numerous touch points around the property as well as our beachwear."
The project will also actively raise awareness with the next generation with our exclusive kids swim and resort wear capsul. The seahorse tank will also be located in The Marbella Club’s Kid’s Club, where a host of interactive games and challenges allow children and their parents to learn more about marine life and rewilding the local marine habitat.
Another activity is the 'Save the Seahorses Beach Clean Up' which begins with a reading of Pout Pout the Fish Who Cleaned Up the Ocean. Post-reading and feeling inspired, mini guests set off to free the sea of plastic pollution accompanied by an expert from Aula del Mar. Once they return, they will race to recycle all the items that they have collected. Kids and parents can discover fascinating facts about seahorses whilst being shown how to feed and take care of them and learn about how their seagrass meadow habitat helps fight against the effects of climate change.
Shop our exclusive print X Marbella Club
