Horseshoe Crab Status.pdf

The American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) is vulnerable to local extirpation, with varying degrees of risk across six genetically-informed regions: Gulf of Maine, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Florida Atlantic, Northeast Gulf of Mexico, and Yucatán Peninsula.

Regional Risks:
- Gulf of Maine: Elevated risk due to limited and fragmented habitat.
- Mid-Atlantic: Stable populations in Delaware Bay, but elevated risk in New England due to over-harvest.
- Southeast: Stable or increasing populations.
- Florida Atlantic: Mixed trends, with continuing population reductions in some areas.
- Northeast Gulf of Mexico: Poorly understood population trends, with no active management.
- Yucatán Peninsula: Conservation protection due to limited habitat and geographic isolation, but elevated risk until population stability is confirmed.

Threats:
- Exploitation for bait, biopharmaceuticals, and marine-life harvest.
- Habitat loss due to coastal change, hardened shorelines, erosion, and sea level rise.

Conservation:
Effective conservation is crucial to mitigate habitat loss and manage sustainable harvest. The future species status will depend on the success of these conservation efforts across and within regions.