• Littoral Society Invites Ms. Powers' Students to Tag Horseshoe Crabs
     
    The Littoral Society invited 8th Graders Nick Brigandi and De'Andre Courtright to Cooks Beach on June 7, 2024 to support the horseshoe crab initiative.  See the quoted information below from the Littoral Society about the value of horseshoe crabs and an ecological complex and essential species.  BHMS was honored to have Ms. Powers, De'Andre, and Nick participate.
     
     
    The Delaware Bay is home to the largest population of spawning Atlantic horseshoe crabs, (Limulus polyphemus). The horseshoe crabs come ashore to spawn and lay eggs during the months of May and June, with peak spawning occurring during new and full moon events at high tide.A female horseshoe crab can lay up to 4,000 eggs at a time, and up to 80,000 eggs per season. Horseshoe crabs are keystone species, playing a very important ecological role. Migratory shorebirds, like the threatened Red Knot, (Calidris canutus), use the Delaware Bay as a stopover during their migrations from the tip of South America to the Canadian Arctic. They rely heavily on the easily digested fats and nutrients found in horseshoe crab eggs to regain weight and fuel their continuing migration. The Littoral Society continues to fight for the protection of horseshoe crabs, while working to restore spawning habitats. Our annual monitoring effort includes collecting data for use in assessing movement and behavior in horseshoe crabs, along with gauging our habitat restoration success and supporting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Cooperative Tagging Program
Brigandi Tagging
courtright Tagging