The Nature Conservancy - Horseshoe Crab Q&As

Watch a video of horseshoe crabs on Delaware Bayshores.

Go Deeper

Jurassic Beach
The horseshoe crab predates the dinosaurs by more than 100 million years. Now a die-hard group of volunteers is helping to ensure the future for this living fossil.

Horseshoe Crab Fact Sheet
Limulus polyphemus: A Living Fossil

Red Knots
Learn more about a bird that depends on the Delaware Bayshores.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Report
The Importance of Habitat Created by Molluscan Shellfish to Managed Species
along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Download report (.pdf, 2.5 MB)

Horseshoe Habitat
Horseshoe crab habitat is fragile. To view habitat, visit the Dupont Nature Center or Henlopen State Park.

While horseshoe crabs pay a visit for only a few months during spring, they are never far from the minds of local experts who work to ensure they are protected throughout the year.

Learn more about these creatures by reading these Q&As with experts in the field.

Dedicating a Career to Horseshoe Crab Study
Carl Shuster
Professor and Horseshoe Crab Biologist

Stepping in on Behalf of Good Science
Andrew Manus
Director of Conservation Programs, The Nature Conservancy’s Delaware Chapter

Pioneering Good Management Practices
Stewart Michels
Fisheries Scientist, Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Connie Gelb/TNC (Horseshoe Crab); Video © TNC