Return To The Bay
by Kristia Adams
Title
Return To The Bay
Artist
Kristia Adams
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
My husband gave a helping hand to this horseshoe crab that had become turned over and stuck in the sand. After turning her back over, she headed back into the Delaware Bay. Although not the cutest of creatures, these living fossils are extremely important to the ecosystem of the Delaware Bay and other tidal ecosystems. The crabs lay thousands of eggs in the early spring that feed millions of migrating shorebirds. These birds rely on this rich food source to enable them to make the long journey north to their summer breeding grounds.
Horseshoe crab populations can be threatened due to pollution issues and over-harvesting by humans for bait. People use the crabs as bait to catch conch and eels. Some bait harvesters prefer the gravid female crabs as these crabs are full of eggs and more attractive to conch and eels. Horseshoe crabs don't mature sexually till they are about 10 years old. Killing too many female crabs with eggs can have a detrimental effect on the population. Due to this, there is a limit as to how many crabs harvesters can legally take.
If you happen to come across a stuck crab, "just flip them" to give them a little help and send them on their way.
Uploaded
May 23rd, 2017
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