Leafy seadragons are listed as "Vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). There is concern over declining seagrass meadows, which provide essential habitat for leafy seadragons and many other marine species.
What is the population of leafy seadragons?
The population size for leafy seadragons is not known. This species is generally sparse across its entire known distribution due to its specialized microhabitat requirements. Leafy seadragons are found in only specific areas within sheltered inshore waters, in seagrass meadows with suitable growth of macroalgae.