Seahorses rescued in Trafaria return to the wild!

The seahorses rescued last year in Trafaria, which were put at risk after a pier pillar collapsed, have returned to their natural habitat after more than a year in the care of the Oceanário de Lisboa.

The return took place on October 31, in an operation coordinated by the ICNF - Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, with the collaboration of the Oceanário de Lisboa, MARE-ISPA and the Almada City Council.

The 23 Seahorses of the two species that occur in Portugal (Hippocampus hippocampus and Hippocampus guttulatus) were rescued together with a group of Pipefishes in March 2022 because they were at risk due to the possible sinking of what was left of the pier structure.

The Oceanário de Lisboa team, which also collaborated in their rescue, took them in and kept them in special conditions until the pier was repaired.

The Pipefhishes, which, in the meantime, had reproduced resulting in the birth of over a hundred individuals, were returned last March.

These species of Seahorse are very sensitive to human activities that lead to their capture and the degradation of their habitat, and their populations are threatened. The conservation of these species has been challenging and requires specific and urgent protection measures.

Watch the full video of the rescue and return of the Seahorses in Trafaria!

About the Oceanário de Lisboa
Recognised three times as "the best aquarium in the world" by Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice, the Oceanário de Lisboa is a world-renowned public aquarium, a place that brings the ocean to the city through the almost 500 marine species that inhabit it. The Oceanário de Lisboa mission is to encourage visitors to learn more about the ocean, making them aware of their own responsibility in conserving our natural heritage by changing their behaviour towards a more sustainable society. The Oceanário carries out educational activities, collaborates in scientific research and marine biodiversity conservation projects that promote the sustainable development of the ocean.

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