Horseshoe Crabs Thrive.pdf

Horseshoe crabs are thriving in East Harbor, a salt pond in North Truro, with thousands of molted shells found in the area. The crabs, an important food source for shorebirds, have likely returned to the harbor after a 150-year absence. Restoration efforts, including the permanent opening of a culvert to Cape Cod Bay in 2001, have helped to revive the salt marsh and lagoon, creating a refuge for the crabs.

The horseshoe crab population is protected in the area, with harvesting prohibited in the Cape Cod National Seashore and Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. However, the regional population may be thin due to harvesting and property development, with state catch quotas never exceeded. Scientists are working to establish a baseline population and conduct comparison counts to better understand the horseshoe crab population on the Lower Cape.

The crabs' homebody tendencies, with isolated pockets of populations, pose a management challenge. Horseshoe crabs are found along the Atlantic coast, with primary harvest grounds in Delaware Bay, and are commercially harvested as bait and used in medical research.