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Divers have reported a rare sighting of hundreds of endangered seahorses in a polluted lagoon in western Greece and warn they could be lost if the area is not cleaned up.
“We see hundreds here and if they remain we have hope,” said diver Vasilis Mentogiannis, an expert in underwater surveys who has led efforts to protect the seahorses. “I don’t think there is a similar situation to this anywhere else in Greece.”
A protected species threatened by overfishing and pollution, seahorses need an environment full of organisms to feed on and plant life to hide.
Older fishermen say Aitoliko lagoon in the northern Patras Gulf used to contain thousands of seahorses but their numbers have fallen in recent years and local divers were amazed when they found a group of the creatures.