College of Arts & Sciences

College of Arts & Sciences

Sample 1

Population Ecology of the Long Island Horseshoe Crab (Limulus Polyphemus)
By: Daniel Drew
Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Mattie, Department of Biology

The horseshoe crab, Limulus Polyphemus, is an arthropod more closely related to spiders than to crabs. It is a living fossil that has survived for over 300 million years. It is found in two areas of the world, the Far East and off the Atlantic cost of North America. Horseshoe crab eggs are an important food source for shore birds. In the Delaware Bay area alone, horseshoe crab population dropped 75 percent in one year from 1991-1992. The Delaware Bay is one of the three most important shore bird staging areas in the world. The decline in population of the horseshoe crab is due to over harvesting for eel and conch bait. Not only shore birds are at stake, the pharmaceutical industry uses horseshoe crab blood to produce lysate, which is used to test bacterial toxins in the treatment of diseases such as spinal meningitis (Dickson, 1998).

Little is known about the horseshoe crab because it spends most of its life on the bottom of the ocean. Only recently have studies begun in Florida and New Jersey where the animals are tagged and their basic natural history has been investigated. I propose to do this research project to try to determine some aspects of the horseshoe crabs’ ecology in Long Island Sound. I will be monitoring the animals at Milford Point, CT during their breeding season (May 10th-June 30th). Once the animal is captured, measurements will be taken and sex determined. A tag will be used in order to help further research and to determine if migration occurs. By seeing if the animal has a tag from previous years, I will determine whether or not the animals come back to breed in the same beach each year. Using other data collected by biologists, I can also see if the animals travel great distances or remain in Long Island Sound. Horseshoe crabs are an important part of the environment. Data from this study will also aid the Department of Environmental Protection in the proper management and conservation of the horseshoe crabs of Long Island Sound. I will continue this undergraduate research project on this species in the fall and produce a research poster for the spring conference.

References:

Berkson, J. and C.N. Shuster, Jr. 1999. The Horseshoe Crab: The Battle For A True Multiple-Use Resource. Fisheries Management. 24(11):6-10.

Brockmann, H.J. and D. Penn. 1992. Male Mating Tactics in Horseshoe Crabs, Limulus Polyphemus. Animal Behaviour. 44:653-665.

Botton, M.L. and J.W. Ropes. 1987. Populations of Horseshoe Crabs, Limulus Polyphemus, on the northwestern Atlantic Continental Shelf. Fishery Bulletin. 85(4):805-812.

Castro, G. and J.P. Myers. 1993. Shorebird Predation On Eggs Of Horseshoe Crabs During Spring Stopover on Delaware Bay. The Auk. 110(4):927-930.

Dickson, J. 1998. Unlucky Horseshoes. Connecticut Wildlife. 18(3):3.

Expenses:
Salaries: / $
Field Assistant (5 weeks) / $
Equipment: / $
Calipers / $
Chest Waders / $
Plastic holding tanks, cinch tags, shipping and handling charges / $
Total: / $