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News
Help Preserve Critical Species on Brink of Extinction
Long Island Horseshoe Crab Network Tracks Dwindling Population of
Essential Animal
In an effort to protect a species that has survived the mass
distinction of dinosaurs, the Long Island Horseshoe Crab Network, headed
by Dr. John T. Tanacredi, Chairman of the Department of Earth and Marine
Sciences at Dowling College, will conduct the sixth year of an Inventory
of Horseshoe Crabs (HSC) at some 60 sites on Long Island, from the tip
of Montauk to the tip of Brooklyn.
Horseshoe crabs around the world face a set of common and growing
threats including over fishing, habitat loss and alteration, and
pollution. This animal is essential for many reasons. They provide a
chemical, LAL, that is used in hospitals to detect bacterial
contamination. Also, the eggs of horseshoe crabs feed shore birds,
including ones that may also be on the verge of being endangered.
"Over the last dozen years there has been considerable controversy
over the extent to which horseshoe crab harvesting has impacted the
species' existence," explained Dr. Tanacredi. "It is general
knowledge that HSC habitat covers from the coast of Maine to Florida,
with Long Island historically having a robust population of HSC.
Anecdotal information from 'coast-wise' people have recently
expressed concerns that once large numbers of HSC observed each year,
are today a mere skeletal population."
The HSC Network invites everyone to join in and help protect a species
350 million years in the making. There are 60 beaches identified to be
surveyed over several days in MAY (5th & 20th), JUNE (3rd & 18th) and
JULY (3rd & 18th) on full moons and high tides. To see the list of beach
sites and register as a volunteer to be a "Beach Captain", call Dr.
Tanacredi at 631-244-3394. Anyone sighting a live horseshoe crab is
asked to provide details and photos via an online field report form at
www.hscli.org.
About Dowling College
Dowling College is an independent, coeducational college that serves more than 6,500 students at
its historic Rudolph Campus on the banks of the Connetquot River in Oakdale, NY, and the 105-acre
Brookhaven Campus in eastern Long Island and a business center located near the Nassau-Suffolk
border in Melville. Dowling offers Bachelor′s, Master′s, and Doctoral degrees in several
disciplines through its four schools: Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Education.
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