I'd like to second Bob's suggestion that we "rescue" the crabs as we can.
I think many folks understand that there is a huge loss of horseshoe crabs, by natural attrition during, breeding. It is natural and normal. So perhaps when people see the crabs dying, they believe it's part of the natural cycle and thus are not wont to interfere with nature's plan. The decline of the horseshoe crab is serious and real; and it is in many ways the result of human's interference - the changes in the shorelines, the loss of habitat, etc. So offsetting the stress people have put on the crab by righting the in-trouble crab seems only an effort to balance, not to interfere.
Crabs come up on the beach and they spawn; it may take hours to complete spawning. Some will get trapped by the shifting tide and some will get rolled by the waves and die. However, they do not die simply because they have worn themselves out by spawning. Most of those that return to the bay will, indeed, survive to spawn again. If you have any doubt, look at the size of some of the females; it takes many years for them to get to a very large size, or to get layers of barnacles attached. The big girls make many trips to the beach. Spawning is NOT an exercise in mortality, as it is for some species.
Consider as well that crabs that have flipped in the waves may not have spawned yet. It is a shame to loose a healthy breeding crab for whatever reaso
n. It is even more of a shame to lose this year's egg crop as well - both for the future of the crab and the future of our birds. The eggs are really, really important!
I agree with Bob - when we can, we should all take a few moments to help out the lively, but in trouble, crabs - those that are flipped or are trapped in an impossible location.
Joanne
Joanne Howl, DVM
West River, MD
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Mumford <>
To:
Sent: Fri, 29 May 2009 11:50 am
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Horseshoe Crabs (slightly off topic)
Like Harry Armistead and others, I was over at Slaughter Beach, DE, on
ednesday and noted the large numbers of stranded horseshoe crabs.
got to thinking: we birders have been understandably very upset with the
ver-harvest of horseshoe crabs and the effect of that take on egg
roduction and thus the survival of Red Knots. Yet few people make any effort
t
ll to rescue overturned crabs to allow them to get back into the water or
ransport crabs stranded in parking lots and other unsuitable locations.
hris and I overturned about 50 crabs in ten minutes or so on Slaughter
each, but of the 25 or so birders I saw during the day, no one else did
nything that I witnessed.
have heard the argument that crabs have evolved over a million years or
o and so have survived despite the losses due to overturning in the surf or
being stranded by
extra high tides far from the water's edge. But
volution occurred before there were roads, parking lots, rip rap, piers,
reakwaters and all the other accouterments of civilization.
wonder what the effect would be if every birder visiting the shores of
elaware Beach turned over or rescued just 25 crabs a day? Helpful?
ignificant? Enough to offset the losses to crabbers?
ob Mumford
arnestown
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