BIOLOGISTS NEED PUBLIC'S HELP FINDING HORSESHOE CRABS
 

St. Petersburg—Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) need your help identifying horseshoe crab spawning beaches throughout the state. FWRI biologists ask that beachgoers document the time, date, and location of horseshoe crab sightings and report the information using the most convenient method available to them:
 

Additionally, biologists want to know if the horseshoe crabs were spawning (see photo at right) and the number of horseshoe crabs observers saw.

According to biologists, horseshoe crabs are over harvested in some states. To better preserve the species, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission issued a management plan that requires all Atlantic coastal states to identify horseshoe crab spawing beaches. The best time to find horseshoe crabs spawning is around a high tide right before or just after a full moon. The next full moon will be on Friday, March 25.

Horseshoe crab research is important to humans in a several ways. Research on the compound eyes of horseshoe crabs has lead to a better understanding of the human visual system. Horseshoe crab blood is widely used in the biomedical industry. A special substance in their blood is used to test for bacterial contamination in human blood and commercial drugs. The material that makes up the horseshoe crab exoskeleton (chitin) is used to make contact lenses, skin creams, and hair sprays.

Your help with this valuable research is vital to scientists. Many citizens have responded to the horseshoe crab nesting beach survey since it began in 2003. Biologists regularly update the survey results. Visit http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=20822 to see how many reports have come from your county.

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