you’re looking at a species that have managed to survive for a half a billion
managed to survive for a half a billion
managed to survive for a half a billion years they’ve figured out how to
years they’ve figured out how to
years they’ve figured out how to harmonize with their environment in
harmonize with their environment in
harmonize with their environment in order to last that long
this is actually an insane time for
this is actually an insane time for overshoot as people come from all over
overshoot as people come from all over
overshoot as people come from all over the world to see them particularly in
the world to see them particularly in
the world to see them particularly in the Delaware Bay region where that’s
the Delaware Bay region where that’s
the Delaware Bay region where that’s pretty much the epicenter of horseshoe
pretty much the epicenter of horseshoe
pretty much the epicenter of horseshoe crab spawning in the United States but
crab spawning in the United States but
crab spawning in the United States but the concentration that we have here is
the concentration that we have here is
the concentration that we have here is larger than any other place in the world
larger than any other place in the world
larger than any other place in the world the surveys that we do they’re done on
the surveys that we do they’re done on
the surveys that we do they’re done on the same night they’re done in the same
the same night they’re done in the same
the same night they’re done in the same way year after year we have a 1 meter
way year after year we have a 1 meter
way year after year we have a 1 meter quadrat that’s Square putting it down
quadrat that’s Square putting it down
quadrat that’s Square putting it down every 20 meters and we’re counting the
every 20 meters and we’re counting the
every 20 meters and we’re counting the males and females that are within that
males and females that are within that
males and females that are within that quadrant
they don’t just rush up on the beach
they don’t just rush up on the beach hey look it’s high tide lay a bunch of
hey look it’s high tide lay a bunch of
hey look it’s high tide lay a bunch of eggs that doesn’t pay off the females
eggs that doesn’t pay off the females
eggs that doesn’t pay off the females require sand that’s lubricated with
require sand that’s lubricated with
require sand that’s lubricated with water to a certain degree so that they
water to a certain degree so that they
water to a certain degree so that they can dig through it and they also need it
can dig through it and they also need it
can dig through it and they also need it dry enough that they can create a cavity
dry enough that they can create a cavity
dry enough that they can create a cavity under themselves into which they release
under themselves into which they release
under themselves into which they release a batch of eggs so she’s going to lay
a batch of eggs so she’s going to lay
a batch of eggs so she’s going to lay about a cluster of eggs that’s maybe
about a cluster of eggs that’s maybe
about a cluster of eggs that’s maybe about the size of a golf ball will be
about the size of a golf ball will be
about the size of a golf ball will be about 4 or 5,000 eggs in there and then
about 4 or 5,000 eggs in there and then
about 4 or 5,000 eggs in there and then after she’s laid those you’ll see her
after she’s laid those you’ll see her
after she’s laid those you’ll see her bow forward go down a little bit and do
bow forward go down a little bit and do
bow forward go down a little bit and do it again and then she’ll do it again and
it again and then she’ll do it again and
it again and then she’ll do it again and still do it again maybe four or five
still do it again maybe four or five
still do it again maybe four or five times in one tide for about 20,000 eggs
times in one tide for about 20,000 eggs
times in one tide for about 20,000 eggs for every female that you’ll see on a
for every female that you’ll see on a
for every female that you’ll see on a spawning tide there are several males
spawning tide there are several males
spawning tide there are several males she won’t come ashore to spawn unless
she won’t come ashore to spawn unless
she won’t come ashore to spawn unless she has a male clipped onto her but
she has a male clipped onto her but
she has a male clipped onto her but there are other males that are jumping
there are other males that are jumping
there are other males that are jumping around because by doing things right
around because by doing things right
around because by doing things right they can achieve some paternity during
they can achieve some paternity during
they can achieve some paternity during spawning they sort of game the system
the pharmaceutical biomedical industry
the pharmaceutical biomedical industry uses a test that’s made from the blood
uses a test that’s made from the blood
uses a test that’s made from the blood of the horseshoe crab to determine
of the horseshoe crab to determine
of the horseshoe crab to determine whether there’s any kind of bacteria
whether there’s any kind of bacteria
whether there’s any kind of bacteria that would cause an infection fever and
that would cause an infection fever and
that would cause an infection fever and causes to die
causes to die
causes to die anything that’s injected into our system
anything that’s injected into our system
anything that’s injected into our system anything that comes in contact with our
anything that comes in contact with our
anything that comes in contact with our blood that includes even the needle the
blood that includes even the needle the
blood that includes even the needle the saline solution spinal fluids like
saline solution spinal fluids like
saline solution spinal fluids like epidurals anything that comes in contact
epidurals anything that comes in contact
epidurals anything that comes in contact with those systems the blood of
with those systems the blood of
with those systems the blood of horseshoe crabs can be taken from the
horseshoe crabs can be taken from the
horseshoe crabs can be taken from the crab with that causing 100% mortality in
crab with that causing 100% mortality in
crab with that causing 100% mortality in fact the mortality is about 30% of the
fact the mortality is about 30% of the
fact the mortality is about 30% of the bled crabs and those crabs have been
bled crabs and those crabs have been
bled crabs and those crabs have been bled or released within 24 hours of
bled or released within 24 hours of
bled or released within 24 hours of capture I feel this anticipation every
capture I feel this anticipation every
capture I feel this anticipation every year when the horseshoe crabs are
year when the horseshoe crabs are
year when the horseshoe crabs are starting to come ashore to spawn we’ve
starting to come ashore to spawn we’ve
starting to come ashore to spawn we’ve got a lot of measures in place that are
got a lot of measures in place that are
got a lot of measures in place that are already starting to bear fruit from the
already starting to bear fruit from the
already starting to bear fruit from the declines that we had back in the 90s but
declines that we had back in the 90s but
declines that we had back in the 90s but we still have a ways to go before we
we still have a ways to go before we
we still have a ways to go before we feel that the population is healthy and
feel that the population is healthy and
feel that the population is healthy and robust every year when I’m seeing
robust every year when I’m seeing
robust every year when I’m seeing horseshoe crabs come up on the beach I’m
horseshoe crabs come up on the beach I’m
horseshoe crabs come up on the beach I’m watching something that has played out
watching something that has played out
watching something that has played out for millions and millions and millions
for millions and millions and millions
for millions and millions and millions of years and I’m just in awe
”
Be First to Comment