On June 21st, 2024, the volunteers of the AYLUS Raritan Valley Branch teamed up with the volunteers at Save Coastal Wildlife to collect and monitor horseshoe crabs at the Keyport Harbor. The event lasted from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM, where the combined team form a single file line perpendicular to the shore and shuffle their feet to detect and catch horseshoe crabs to prevent crushing on them. When someone catches a horseshoe crab, they are told to state their last name, and the gender of the horseshoe crab.
As expected, with the collaboration of both groups, we managed to collect plenty of horseshoe crabs with our single file line. We started from the pier at the harbor, and then a hour later we ended near a house that is nearby the shore. The water was pretty murky, but that didn’t stop people from pursuing towards their goals. They tend to bump in front of us, so it was easy to capture them. Many of the horseshoe crabs people had caught were single males, with the females already paired up with a mate. When the sun had set, and the skies became darker, flashlights were lit and the operation continued.
Overall, everyone had a fun experience catching horseshoe crabs. Many horseshoe crabs had barnacles on top of them which was very interesting. After the end of the event, all the horseshoe crabs that were caught were released. I hope to have another event similar to this but at a different place where the waters could be cleaner.
Reported By: Xiaowen Kang
Activity Lead: Xiaowen Kang (1.5 Hours)
Participants:
1.5 Hours Each- Kevin Xu, Kenny Shao, David Ma, Aaron Lu
Parents: Xiaowen’s mom and Kevin’s mom
