Publication Date

2022

Document Type

Horseshoe Crab Annual Inventory Report

Abstract

CERCOM monitors 115 beach locations from Brooklyn – Montauk during the 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 led 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 University’s online HSC inventory form/ database on the Molloy University’s 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 productivity and overall Long Island populations are recorded annually

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