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After supporting the Lampedusa Turtle Rescue in 2016, the Octopus Foundation is proud to announce its partnership with Peau-Bleue. The French NGO is one of the rare groups to study the two species of seahorses that are found in Europe. Active since 1995, they focus their research efforts on the Syngnathidae, the family of fish that includes seahorses. Although the hippocampus is one of the most emblematic species of our seas and oceans, the scientific knowledge of these animals is surprisingly limited.

By supporting the Peau-Bleue NGO, the Octopus Foundation wishes to contribute to the study of seahorses. We have a lot to learn about their biology, habitat and their role in the marine ecosystems. To reach this goal, the Foundation’s operational team will be diving on several spots along the French coast – Étang de Thau, Arcachon Bay and the South coast of Brittany – to assist the biologists of Peau-Bleue in their studies. We will try to answer an important question: are the populations of seahorses an indicator of the seagrass ecosystem’s health?

The Octopus Foundation’s effort will not be limited to the support of this scientific research. A second ambitious goal has been set: to bring these important topics to the public’s attention.

In order to achieve this important mission, we are developing a partnership with the National Museum of Natural History of Paris. To inform the largest public, the French landmark built a Marinarium in Concarneau that displays the wonders of the seas and explains the sometimes-complex interactions between the marine species. The Octopus Foundation will allocate funds to renovate the section dedicated to the fascinating seagrass system, which is a vital habitat for seahorse populations.

Julien Pfyffer, founder and president of the Octopus Foundation, is looking forward to this double partnership: “We will have the immense luck to simultaneously help the scientific research and mediation. It’s an honor to work alongside the National Museum of Natural History, a symbol of knowledge that reaches and informs tens of thousands of people each year.”

Photo: © Philippe Henry