Ocean Park announces the successful return of two adult tri-spine horseshoe crabs (Tachypleus tridentatus) to their natural coastal home following months of rehabilitation care by the Park’s conservation specialists. 

Horseshoe crabs have roamed the earth for hundreds of millions of years and play a vital role in marine and coastal ecosystems. However, local populations of these ancient creatures face severe threats due to habitat loss, marine pollution, and human disturbance.

Thanks to the generous donation from named donors Kenneth Yam and Judy Sin, alongside the Patagonia 1% for the Planet initiative, a one-of-a-kind Asian Horseshoe Crab Conservation and Breeding Centre was set up at Ocean Park recently to elevate the city’s rescue, rehabilitation, breeding and research efforts on these “living fossils”. 

To ensure the released individuals return to a thriving and safe environment after receiving expert care at the Park, Ocean Park and Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong have driven crucial habitat restoration efforts. Building upon the ongoing mudflat patrol initiative, dedicated staff and volunteers clear marine debris and abandoned fishing nets from the target coastal habitat, significantly improving the natural ecological conditions essential for the survival of this endangered species.

Advancing conservation through scientific research

Ocean Park will continue to further its conservation efforts through advanced field research. The new initiative investigates the population dynamics and movement ecology of horseshoe crabs, both the tri-spine horseshoe crab and the mangrove horseshoe crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda), in Deep Bay and Tung Chung Bay. This vital data will enable stakeholders to implement science-based protection for the crucial migratory pathways linking local mudflats to the open sea.