In response to Peter Vankevich; The harvesting of Horseshoe crabs is a disturbing situation, Peter and just today I was reading a piece on this situation. I copied a portion of it and it is taken off the Cape May birding page. I am sorry, I do not know who the author is. I agree with you that it is frustrating to see abuse of our lands and natural resources. Hopefully, the state of Delaware will follow suit as will Maryland and place restrictions on harvesting Horseshoe Crabs as New Jersey has. HORSESHOE CRAB RESEARCH The Delaware Bay hosts hundreds of thousands of migrating shorebirds each spring, and these birds rely on Horseshoe Crab eggs to fuel the final leg of their spring migration from New Jersey to the high Arctic. For the third year, CMBO/NJAS has supported Dr. Mark Botton of Fordham University and Dr. Robert Loveland of Rutgers University in their ongoing surveys of Horseshoe Crabs along the lower Delaware Bay. This work involves collecting samples of Horseshoe Crab eggs along the beaches, and aims to use the egg density counts to estimate trends in the population of adult Horseshoe Crabs. Botton and Loveland are the only researchers studying the crabs along the bay, and their work provides the only data on changes in the egg density over time. CMBO has a long history of working on the shorebird/Horseshoe Crab phenomenon. While working with other conservation groups from around the country, we were able to work toward notable closures in the Horseshoe Crab harvest: All Delaware Bay beaches are closed to the harvest in New Jersey, ocean-going trawlers cannot take Horseshoe Crabs from New Jersey waters and cannot land Horseshoe Crabs at New Jersey docks, and the number of harvesters eligible to collect Horseshoe Crabs was reduced. While significant, these changes are effective only in New Jersey. Other states still allow a nearly unrestricted take or unrestricted landings, and this works to encourage the ocean trawlers to continue their massive take. Clearly this is one issue that straddles state borders, and the effects on the shorebirds make it an international issue. Good birding, and better Horseshoe observing in the future Abbie Banks Maryland -