Take Action – Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition

Jan van de kam 10

Take Action

The best way to recover our horseshoe crab populations is by building a movement. Sign up to connect to our campaign and receive alerts about developments in your state.

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of horseshoe crabs?

- Report locations where you see horseshoe crabs spawning on iNaturalist.

- Rescue stranded horseshoe crabs. Many states have organizations that train and coordinate volunteers in crab rescue.

- Volunteer to assist with a horseshoe crab survey. Most states conduct beach surveys on certain spawning nights that may also include tagging horseshoe crabs.

Contact your state representative and ask that your state marine fish units devote more time to monitoring both the bait and blood industry. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) only recommends horseshoe crab quotas and methods of take to the states, but the states are the entities that actually regulate. Ask your representative to compel state marine agencies to better regulate the killing of horseshoe crabs or create a moratorium until the industry responds.

If you are near a beach on the Atlantic coast where horseshoe crabs spawn, there are several ways to get involved through community science efforts:

Contact your local congressional representative or senator to express why it's important not to allow commercial fishing interests to dominate decisions to kill horseshoe crabs for bait. Horseshoe crabs are not worthless - they are essential to a functioning ecosystem. You can also ask the federal government to stop the killing of crabs for their blood and speed the transition to the synthetic alternative known as rFC.

What can you do to stop the killing

PHOTO: Jan van de Kam / "Life on Delaware Bay" 
							

Create a state working group or join an existing group within the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition to develop new volunteer-based surveys of horseshoe crabs to help determine their status. The ASMFC refuses to acknowledge the importance of horseshoe crab eggs, but working groups can do it for them. State working groups can also rescue horseshoe crabs from impingement and take part in the stewardship of horseshoe crabs and migratory shorebirds that depend on them.

The Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition is made up of organizations across the Atlantic Coast, from fishing captains to bird conservation organizations to biomedical companies, that all understand the critical role horseshoe crabs play in our marine ecosystem. Watch to find out how your organization can become a member of the HCRC.

Help spread the word by sharing our posts with your friends and followers on social media.

Twitter

Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition Follow

We are a coalition of conservation leaders aiming to reverse years of decline and fully restore one of the world's oldest living species by 2030.

Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition @hscrabrecovery ·

1 Jul

Rubble & trash pose threats that can be deadly to horseshoe crabs that encounter them.

The Coalition is embracing National Clean Beaches Week, July 1-7, & applauds orgs that conduct beach cleanups on horseshoe crab spawning beaches.

📷 by Sandy Anderson, Return the Favor NJ

Reply on Twitter 1940058623872290825 Retweet on Twitter 1940058623872290825 Like on Twitter 1940058623872290825 2 Twitter 1940058623872290825

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hscrabrecovery

GivingTuesday is based on the idea that people act

GivingTuesday is based on the idea that people acting together can cause sweeping change.

The Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition was formed based on the idea that the most critical part of any movement for change lies in uniting a group of people who have something that they care about in common.

We are a science-based campaign, aiming to fully recover American Horseshoe Crab populations along the Atlantic Coast to the levels they once were, that the ecosystem is capable of supporting.

Follow the link in our bio to learn the progress that has been made and our goals for the future, and consider making a donation to the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition to help us make that change.

Any donation amount will help support the important work of the Coalition to help restore horseshoe crab populations.

Donations of $100 or more will receive a Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition T-shirt as a thank you gift.
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#givingtuesday #hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #migratoryshorebirds #redknot #redknots

Earlier this year, the NY State Legislature boldly

Earlier this year, the NY State Legislature boldly passed legislation that would prohibit the taking of horseshoe crabs for bait and biomedical purposes.

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul has been holding on to the bill and has until the end of the year to decide whether to sign it.

The Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition applauds Newsday for taking this bold stand in support of the bill, and we join them in urging the governor to sign it promptly.

Newsday Opinion Editorial, 11/25/24

Follow the link in our bio to read more.

Photo credit: Newsday/Mark Harrington
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#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #newyork #nygovhochul

Today and every day, we are thankful for the colle

Today and every day, we are thankful for the collective hard work of Coalition member organizations and others for the progress that has been made toward protecting horseshoe crabs.

It takes an army!

We give thanks for all of the people who care about horseshoe crabs and their protection.

Thank you for supporting the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition and the work that we all do to reverse years of decline and restore horseshoe crab populations.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The decline of the horseshoe crab population in Ne

The decline of the horseshoe crab population in New York has promoted the creation of the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act bill, which would ban taking horseshoe crabs from NY waterways if signed by the governor.

World-renowned conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall wrote a letter to the governor, in support of the bill.

Westchester News 12: NY's Horseshoe Crab Protection Bill sells to protect species from local extinction - 11/21/24

Photo credit: Westchester News 12
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#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #nygovhochul #horseshoecrabprotectionact

World Fisheries Day is observed globally on Novemb

World Fisheries Day is observed globally on November 21st, serving as a platform to bring awareness to the many challenges faced by marine animals.

For the horseshoe crab, challenges include decades of overharvesting, mishandling of horseshoe crabs by not following best management practices, illegal poaching, undocumented bycatch, and habitat loss.

There is a vital need for responsible planning and conservation measures to protect horseshoe crabs and the species that depend on them.

This day is a united call for action, to collaborate and address these critical issues, as the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition has committed to and is doing.
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#WorldFisheriesDay #worldfisheriesday2024
#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #bestmanagementpractices #poaching #bycatch #habitatloss #fishery #fisheries #fisheriesmanagement

Dr. Jane Goodall joins the fight to protect horses

Dr. Jane Goodall joins the fight to protect horseshoe crabs in NY

One of the world's most prominent conservation scientists, Dr. Jane Goodall, has penned a letter to NY Gov. Hochul, to urge the governor to sign the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act.

If signed by the governor, the taking of horseshoe crabs from NY waters for commercial fishing or biomedical purposes would be banned.

In the words of Dr. Jane Goodall, "I believe New York has an opportunity to lead in this conservation effort."
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#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #wildlifeconservation #fisheriesconservation #drjanegoodall #nygovhochul

Nineteen member organizations of the Horseshoe Cra

Nineteen member organizations of the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition joined together to express support for the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act (S.3185A/A.10140), urging New York Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the bill.

Horseshoe Crab populations have been falling since the 1980s, and the problem is especially acute in New York, where the horseshoe crab was once an iconic species.

The late Dr. Jennifer Mattei, a leading horseshoe crab researcher for Sacred Heart University, wrote "due to very low population numbers, the horseshoe crab is functionally extinct in Long Island Sound."

Passage of this bill into law would be a vital step toward saving New York's dwindling horseshoe crab population.

Follow the link in our bio to read the full, three page letter from the signees of the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition to New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

Horseshoe crabs need your help. New York state le

Horseshoe crabs need your help.

New York state legislature recently passed the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act - a bill which would ban horseshoe crab harvesting in New York waters.

Neighboring Connecticut and New Jersey already have laws protecting horseshoe crabs.

To become law, the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act bill needs New York Governor Hochul's signature.

Follow the link in the bio for Coalition member the @centerforbiodiv to add your signature to a letter that will be forwarded to the Governor's office, urging her to sign the bill.

Photo credit: ckaras/Pixabay
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#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #governorhochul #newyork #centerforbiologicaldiversity

Today the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition celebr

Today the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition celebrates International Day of Zoo and Aquarium Educators, November 14th.

Zoos and aquariums are ideal settings to educate the public about horseshoe crabs, and to create an awareness about the threats that they are facing.

These threats include habitat loss due to climate change, harvest for bait and as bycatch, and for the use of their blood to test for impurities in medical products.

The existence of a synthetic equivalent to test for impurities in medical products was recently approved for use by the U S. Pharmacopeia.

The Coalition would like to acknowledge and thank our member and partner zoos and aquariums, as well as all zoos and aquariums, who educate the public on issues affecting horseshoe crabs.
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#izeday #izeday2024

Now is the time to use your voice to help protect

Now is the time to use your voice to help protect horseshoe crabs.

The New York State Assembly and Senate have passed the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, which would prohibit commercial and biomedical harvest of horseshoe crabs in New York state waters.

The bill is awaiting final approval from Governor Kathy Hochul before it can become law.

Follow the link in the bio of @americanbirdconservancy to sign-on to a letter to NY Gov. Hochul, urging the governor to sign the bill.
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#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #redknot #redknots #rekn #shorebirds #migratoryshorebirds #speciesprotection #americanbirdconservancy #newyork

"We can't give up on rescuing our hardshell friend

"We can't give up on rescuing our hardshell friends.

"Let's give our horseshoe crab friends their best chance at surviving."

Mark Trail, 11/10/24
By Jules Rivera

The particle size of sand used to replenish sand o

The particle size of sand used to replenish sand on horseshoe crab spawning beaches is coarse grain-sized sediment, which allows for better oxygenation of developing eggs.

Historically, the beaches along Delaware Bay would have had deep, coarse sand along a continuous shoreline. Human alteration of the coastline has degraded the condition of these and other beaches.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently accomplished a horseshoe crab spawning and shorebird nourishment project at Turtle Cove beach, Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

Photo credit: Joseph Smith, USFWS
Turtle Cove before and after the restoration. The refuge covered rocks intended to stabilize the shoreline after Hurricane Sandy with 1,850 tons of coarse sand.
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#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #spawninghabitat #shorebird #shorebirds #beachnourishment #habitatrestoration #forsythenationalwildliferefuge #forsythenwr #usfws

After dismissing a delaying expert committee and y

After dismissing a delaying expert committee and years of industry lobbying, a new public health standard which was approved by the U.S. Pharmacopeia will make it easier for biomedical companies to use animal-free alternatives to test for bacterial toxins in injected drugs, instead of an assay derived from horseshoe crab blood.

The new public health standard is "a generational change," says Jay Bolden, a senior director at @elilillyco. "It's a big win."

The stage is set for pharmaceutical manufacturers in the U.S. to pivot quickly away from parts of the process using animal-derived reagents, and begin to use the new endotoxin tests.

Photo credit: Tim Cernak

Chemical & Engineering News - Turning tides for endotoxin testing: The drug industry may finally phase out using horseshoe crab blood. What took so long? 10/28/24
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#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #endotoxintesting #rfc #syntheticalternative #syntheticequivalent #uspharmacopeia #usp

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission ha

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has decided to maintain a ban on the harvest of Delaware Bay-origin female horseshoe crabs for bait for another year, a critical move in helping to protect the ancient mariner and shorebirds like the red knot that depend on their eggs for survival.

The approximately 20,000 red knots seen in recent years are nowhere near the 90,000 that once migrated through Delaware Bay.

A thriving horseshoe crab spawning population is essential to sustain red knots and other species. Horseshoe crabs have not fully recovered from an overharvest in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Allowing the harvest of females would further weaken the already strained ecosystem.

"The status of red knots remains precarious, and the commission should not be considering the risky recommendations of its flawed computer model year after year," cautions Ben Levitan, an attorney for @earthjustice

NJ Spotlight News: Officials uphold ban on harvest of female horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay, by Jon Hurdle 10/24/24
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#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #redknot #redknots #migratoryshorebirds #fisherymanagementplan #fmp #asmfc #earthjustice

Today the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition is obs

Today the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition is observing International Day of Climate Action, October 24th, which focuses on taking action to combat the effects of climate change.

Rising water levels and extreme storm events have adverse impacts on horseshoe crabs, resulting in decreased beach areas, used by horseshoe crabs as spawning habitat.

Higher energy waves carry away sand, eroding horseshoe crab nests and breaking viable egg clusters into nonviable surface eggs, while simultaneously making beaches narrower.

Beach restoration projects take place along Delaware Bay annually, to help combat these effects and to increase horseshoe crab spawning habitat in such ways as by replenishing sand and placing breakwaters offshore to decrease wave energy.

The Coalition urges us all to change our daily behaviors to minimize our impact on the Earth's climate, to help protect horseshoe crabs and the future of our planet.
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#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #climatechange #beachisspawninghabitat #InternationalDayofClimateAction

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (A

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has decided against implementing a female bait harvest of Delaware Bay-origin horseshoe crabs for the 2025 season.

"This decision will give red knots and other shorebirds that utilize Delaware Bay a fighting chance at survival and recovery," said Ben Levitan, senior attorney for Earthjustice's Biodiversity Defense Program.

Additionally, the ASMFC initiated a process to consider a multi-year extension of protection for female horseshoe crabs.

@earthjustice press release: "Fisheries Commission Once Again Rejects Female Horseshoe Crab Harvest Proposal for Delaware Bay, Extending a Lifeline for Migratory Shorebirds" 10/21/24

Photo credit: Aristide Economopoulos, for Earthjustice
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#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #redknot #redknots #migratoryshorebirds #fisheriesmanagement #fisheriesmanagementplan #fmp #fisheryscience #earthjustice #asmfc

Today, the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition is ob

Today, the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition is observing Indigenous Peoples' Day, October 14th.

The following was taken from a presentation given by Linda Coombs at 'The Horseshoe Crab: Against All Odds' art exhibit in Plymouth, MA.

"Each life exists in its own right -
It does not exist for us.
Should we have to take it,
To fulfill some need of ours,
We can do that,
But there's a way we can do that
That does not deplete the population
Of these beings."

- Linda Coombs, Indigenous Resources Collaborative and historian from the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah

#indigenouspeoplesday

Today, the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition is ce

Today, the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition is celebrating National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 13-19th.

The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation and restoration of fish and wildlife resources and their habitats.

Following a lawsuit brought by the @southernenvironment (Southern Environmental Law Center) and @defendersofwildlife, in August 2023 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service halted the commercial harvest of horseshoe crabs in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina during spawning season, recognizing that the harvest of horseshoe crabs is incompatible with the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Join the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition in cele

Join the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition in celebrating World Migratory Bird Day.

Billions of birds are in flight this time of year, including federally-threatened Red Knots and other shorebirds that rely on horseshoe crab eggs to fuel their epic journeys.

By saving horseshoe crabs, we are saving migratory shorebirds like the Red Knot.

Event art by: Anna Rose

#HCRC
#WorldMigratoryBirdDay
#WMBD2024
#WMBD

Today, October 12th, is Urban Wildlife Conservatio

Today, October 12th, is Urban Wildlife Conservation Day.

Urban shorelines can be difficult for horseshoe crabs to navigate for spawning, as they typically contain obstacles such as bulkheads, seawalls, and rubble.

Although not preferred spawning habitat, horseshoe crabs are documented to spawn along urban shorelines, including the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, the females finding patches of sand to lay their eggs.

Image credit: Drexel Univ
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#hcrc #horseshoecrab #horseshoecrabs #urbanwildlife #urbanwildlifeconservation #urbanwildlifeconservationday

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Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition

2 weeks ago

The Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition is recognizing and embracing National Clean Beaches Week, July 1-7.The beach is a necessary ecosystem to species that utilize the beach as habitat, including horseshoe crabs which use beach sand as spawning habitat to lay eggs to reproduce. Since horseshoe crabs spend nearly all of their lives underwater, it can be cumbersome and dangerous for them to come out of the water and onto the sand to spawn if there are obstacles to their movement along the beach. Rubble in the form of tires, cinder blocks, heavy logs, netting and fencing, and trash like fishing line and string or ribbons from balloons pose threats that can be deadly to horseshoe crabs that encounter them.Many beach restoration projects to increase horseshoe crab spawning habitat include rubble removal as the first step. The Coalition applauds member organizations and others for scheduling and organizing beach cleanups on horseshoe crab spawning and other beaches, and for individuals who help keep our beaches clean. Photo credit: Sandra Justine Anderson, Return the Favor NJ #NationalCleanBeachesWeek ... See MoreSee Less

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