Publication Date
2020
Document Type
Horseshoe Crab Annual Inventory Report
Abstract
CERCOM monitors 115 beach locations from Brooklyn – Montauk during optimal Limulus Polyphemus breeding season. These beach surveys take place for approximately 15 weeks, ranging from May- August. These beach locations are marked specifically using GPS coordinates, to assure the same location is visited each year. Students and volunteers are required to attend a HSC Survey training orientation lead by CERCOM’s research assistant, Mr. Kyle Maurelli. Surveying is done around tide and moon cycles (New/Full Moon). Each site takes about 1-2 hours and data is recorded along an approximate 1 mile distance. Walking along the water’s edge the number of male and female HSCs are counted as well as the dead and or molted HSCs. This data is recorded and submitted to Molloy College’s online HSC inventory form on the Molloy College website. CERCOM provides data for total observed HSC populations per site as well as whether or not HSC breeding has or is occurring at each beach location. Trends in breeding beach existence and overall Long Island populations is recorded annually.
Recommended Citation
CERCOM, Molloy University; Tanacredi, John Ph.D.; and Maurelli, Kyle F., "Long Island Horseshoe Crab Network Annual Inventory Report" (2020). CERCOM reports. 16.
https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/cercom_reports/16
Included in
Earth Sciences Commons, Environmental Sciences Commons, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons
