Limulus polyphemus

Before I share my latest kayaking adventure, I am curious... do you know what this is? What do you know about it? Leave me a message!

Ok, updating from Rome:

I have long been fascinated with horseshoe crabs. Growing up, we found their exoskeletons washed up on beaches when we were boating. At the time, I thought they looked like prehistoric monsters. I didn't know at the time (I was probably six or seven?) that they had evolved during the Paleozoic era and have hardly changed during the last 400+ million years.

Aside from just looking cool, horseshoe crabs have many uses. Their eggs are a foodsource for shore birds and marine wildlife. Researchers have studied their four compound eyes to better understand vision. They are used as bait for whelk. The chiton (their exoskeleton) is used to make contact lenses, skin cream, hairspray, and sutures and dressings for wounds. But, most interesting to me, their blood is used by the biomedical industry to test for bacterial contamination. It is worth noting, that the blood can be drawn without harm to the horseshoe crabs.

Because of their many uses, horseshoe crabs have been overharvested (but are not yet considered endangered). The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission developed a management plan to help protect them from overharvesting. Part of the plan requires states to identify the nesting and breeding beaches of horseshoe crabs (if you want to protect a species, protecting the babies and the mommas is a good idea, right?). In Florida, the public can contribute to the survey by submitting any observations of horseshoe crabs to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. They want to know the date, time and location of the sighting; the approximate number of crabs; and the presence of any juveniles (under 4 inches wide) or mating activity. I submitted observations from my kayaking trips several times this summer.

If you want more information about horseshoe crabs, go here: http://research.myfwc.com/features/category_sub.asp?id=5080.

If you want to submit survey results, go here: http://research.myfwc.com/horseshoe_crab/.

For survey results, go here: http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=20822. How many responses are from Manatee County? Be sure to read the note that explains why we've had so many....

PS Given my limited internet access at this point, blog posts will be first drafts with limited proofreading. I apologize. I know I kept typing "horseshow crabs" (probably a subconscious habit from my horseshowing days....), so I'm sure there will be some entertaining mistakes.