 The end of the school year and start of summer is a great time to look back on a season of the Littoral Society's Close Encounters field trips for students, scouts and recreation groups.
The Littoral Society's interactive field trips on Sandy Hook use nature as a classroom, and are not only exciting for students, but also members of our staff and volunteers. Everyone gets the chance to experience the breathtaking coastal environment, with each outing being different from the rest! Our Close Encounters field trip is designed to give students of all ages the opportunity to engage with nature in an enriching and educational manner. By learning about local species through hands-on interactions, students are able to appreciate the amazing ecosystems that surround them and create memories they’ll remember forever.  Do you care about horseshoe crabs? Then please join our continuing effort to help protect them!
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is holding a workshop on July 15 and 16 to discuss the management of Delaware Bay horseshoe crabs. The workshop will be held at the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control's Lewes Field Office at 901 Pilottown Road, Lewes, DE. Over the past few years, the ASMFC has attempted to increase the harvest limits for Delaware Bay horseshoe crabs and end a moratorium on harvesting female crabs, even though conservation targets previously agreed to by the Commission have not been reached. Public input in the past, including 34,000 letters in 2022, has helped stave off those proposed changes. According to ASMFC, the upcoming meeting is focused on "providing the space for participants to openly discuss ecosystem and management objectives, identify common ground among divergent stakeholder views, and develop options for Board discussion and consideration. ...no management decisions are being formulated or acted upon at the workshop." However, there will be only limited opportunity for public comments at the meeting and only from those attending in person. If you plan to attend the workshop, you must inform Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator Caitlin Starks by noon on Friday, July 12.  American Littoral Society Education Coordinator Audrey Litto leads a Horseshoe Crab Walk on Sandy Hook. If you've ever visited one of Sandy Hook's bayside beaches during May or June, you've probably come across one of our favorite seasonal visitors, the slow moving and strange looking horseshoe crab.
While not nearly as plentiful as they were only a few decades ago, these living fossils still appear in enough numbers to attract attention and occasionally concern from human visitors to our little corner of the Jersey Shore. Many people are familiar with horseshoe crabs, but some may not know just how remarkable they are and more than a few may never have seen one on a beach before. Which is why the American Littoral Society hosts horseshoe crab walks that coincide with the short period of time that the crabs emerge from New Jersey's bays and estuaries. These walks provide a great opportunity to not only see these ancient creatures as they crawl onto beaches, but also learn why they come ashore, how that is critical to the coastal ecosystem, and what makes them more than just a curious sight (such as their blue blood or multiple sets of eyes).  Littoral Society Restoration Technician Toni Rose Tablante with our Delaware Seasonal Technician Trevor Metz on one of our New Jersey beach restoration sites.  The Delaware 302 Horseshoe Crab lifestyle brand. By Trevor Metz, Littoral Society Delaware Seasonal Technician
During my last week with the American Littoral Society, I was treated to a guided tour around South Jersey by fellow staffers Toni Rose Tablante and Shane Godshall. It was one of the few times we got to interact in person during the short, three-month stint I worked with the Society, but we had the same kinds of candid conversations that we had during the interview process back in March. Driving between beaches where Littoral Society restoration projects have been completed or future projects are planned, our conversation turned towards how the work we are doing - or want to be doing - can be most impactful and effective. In Delaware, the Atlantic Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) was chosen as the state’s official marine animal in 2002. A local lifestyle brand, 302 Horseshoe Crab, has gained considerable popularity in recent years prominently featuring our marine animal and single Delaware area code. |
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