Over the last 17 years, the seahorse population in Ria Formosa has decreased by about 90%.

Most of the 42 known seahorse species inhabit coastal areas, which are typically impacted by human activities, thus making them particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation and overfishing.

To document current efforts to protect seahorse populations around the world, photographer David Liittschwager of the National Geographic Magazine has come to the Algarve to collect photographic records of seahorses in Ria Formosa, whose population has declined by about 90% over the last 17 years.

Our researcher Miguel Correia, a member of Project Seahorse, along with the CCMAR Scientific Dive Center team, was supporting this photographer on the dives he did in Ria Formosa and in the photographic session that took place in the Ramalhete Marine Station, where CCMAR develops research on this species.