Science and Society: Horseshoe Crabs in the Limelight

• Tuesday, March 4 @ 5:00 pm
• Lewes Public Library, Lewes, DE

Horseshoe crabs are one of the iconic species of the Delaware Bay ecosystem. They are famous as a 450-million year-old "living fossil," for their importance to the pharmaceutical industry, and for the crucial role horseshoe crab eggs play in providing essential food for the tens of thousands of migratory shorebirds passing through Delaware Bay each spring. In this presentation, Dr. Mark L. Botton will discuss the life history, ecology, and commercial uses of horseshoe crabs, and the reasons for concerns about the status of their populations, including overfishing and habitat loss. He also will cover the work of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Horseshoe Crab Specialist Group to advocate for the science-based conservation of horseshoe crabs in North America and Southeast Asia.

Dr. Mark L. Botton is Professor of Biology (Emeritus) in the Department of Natural Sciences at Fordham University in New York City, and is the Co-Chair of the IUCN Horseshoe Crab Specialist Group, which advocates for the science-based conservation of horseshoe crabs and their essential spawning and nursery habitats.

The library's "Science and Society - Making Sense of the World Around Us" lecture series is co-organized and moderated by Fred Dylla, Linda Dylla, and Colin Norman.

NOTE: this meeting is being conducted through Zoom. You MUST REGISTER to receive instructions for joining the meeting.

Free Lectures & Workshops Virtual Southern Delaware

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