Today, on June 6, the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition celebrates National Trails Day.
Our favorite kind of trail is the kind that horseshoe crabs leave imprinted on the sand, after you flip overturned ones & they are able to return to the water.
Happy National Trails Day!
June 5 is World Environment Day, designated by the United Nations to promote worldwide awareness of environmental degradation & to encourage action to reverse it.
The Coalition is working to recover populations of the American Horseshoe Crab.
See how:
https://t.co/LAHVcMpS3m
In 1986, Delaware Bay became the 1st WHSRN site designated in the network as a world-renowned stopover.
This year, WHSRN staff visited Delaware Bay to celebrate the 40-year anniversary of the site designation, honoring decades of conservation & research.
https://t.co/IwLqCaC2n3
Coalition member, the @CenterForBioDiv, has filed a lawsuit against the federal government for denying protection earlier this year to the American Horseshoe Crab under the Endangered Species Act.
Follow the link to read the press release:
https://t.co/7C2tFUXfrE
6/3 is National Egg Day, giving us an opportunity to pay tribute to horseshoe crab eggs
Horseshoe crab eggs & larvae provide a food source for many shorebird & fish species & diamondback terrapins
Note: Horseshoe crab eggs handled with proper state scientific collecting permits
The second & final bay-wide count revealed 29,823 red knots on NJ Bay beaches, as they raced to gain and maintain enough weight to be able to leave Delaware Bay and arrive at their Arctic breeding grounds with enough time and energy to breed successfully.
https://t.co/kgIP4ri074
On 5/22, a bay-wide count revealed 26,625 red knots in NJ, up slightly from the previous year, with an additional 2,000 red knots seen in DE
Additionally, horseshoe crab surface egg density was as high as 19,800/sq m during the 3rd week of May
Read more:
https://t.co/K9tUJMWDJF
The 1st 2 weeks of May had the 2nd lowest horseshoe crab egg densities of the 12-yr dataset. Shorebirds struggled to gain weight
5/16, conditions changed for the better
Egg density is the central variable in the quality of a shorebird migratory stopover
https://t.co/vT7DVekKgo
Read about new regulations that were put into place this year by NJ Fish and Wildlife that allow NJ Conservation Officers the power to issue citations to anyone refusing to abide by beach closures designed to allow shorebirds to feed uninterrupted.
https://t.co/Bb4em7mnM5
Migratory shorebirds reached Delaware Bay underweight, as water temps were low & horseshoe crab spawning was slow.
Read a blog by Dr. Larry Niles, co-leader of the NJ Delaware Bay Shorebird & Horseshoe Crab Project, about the start of this year's season:
https://t.co/zjIodfJ7sV
Last night, May 23rd, the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition hosted a public Return the Favor walk.
Our group of volunteers rescued 1,673 overturned & stranded horseshoe crabs (1,201 males & 472 females) at Reeds Beach along Delaware Bay in NJ, as we walked and talked.
Today, on 5/23, the Coalition celebrates World Fish Migration Day.
The American Horseshoe Crab is migratory. Sexually mature adults spend winter months in deeper bay waters or in the open ocean, migrating landward to arrive on the U.S. Atlantic Coast in the spring to spawn.
On May 22nd, we join the global community to observe the International Day for Biological Diversity.
By restoring & protecting horseshoe crabs, we can help to restore & maintain ecosystem balance, building a sustainable future for all species, which are interconnected.
Today, May 9, is World Migratory Bird Day.
Birds need your help, including shorebirds that use horseshoe crab eggs to fuel their journeys.
Record bird observations on eBird & report banded birds you see on a platform such as https://t.co/qIODFdOVvk
#WorldMigratoryBirdDay
May is Horseshoe Crab Action month.
If you live near the Atlantic Coast you can get involved in tagging events, spawning surveys, public walks to rescue horseshoe crabs & horseshoe crab festivals.
Follow the link to see events near Delaware Bay in NJ:
https://t.co/dlqmDSPzKl
If you are going to be near Fortescue, NJ this weekend, be sure to join us at the Downe Township Horseshoe Crab Festival on Sat 5/9 11am-4pm on State St.
Admission is free
We are proud to be a sponsor of the festival again this year
Stop by the Coalition table - see you there!
Today, on 4/24, the Coalition is commemorating World Day for Laboratory Animals.
The Coalition applauds pharma cos which have begun the transition process to using approved synthetic products instead of LAL for bacterial endotoxin testing.
#worlddayforlaboratoryanimals
Earth Day is celebrated on 4/22
Pharmacopeias not only in the US, but also in countries around the world, have already approved & are approving the use of synthetic alternatives to products derived from the blood of horseshoe crabs (LAL) for biomedical testing.
Happy Earth Day!
For National Volunteer Week (4/19-25), the Coalition would like to recognize & thank those who lend their support by helping to conduct the spawning survey, tag crabs, rescue stranded crabs, & voice concerns regarding management.
See how to get involved:
https://t.co/NqyUQfMYgJ
Follow the link to view a trailer for the film directed & produced by Neeve Ó Flynn-Mundin titled "Blue Blood," exploring the significance of horseshoe crabs to global human health and the synthetics that are now available for biomedical endotoxin testing
https://t.co/a48Ii9P503