The following was submitted to The Block Island Times from the Block Island Conservancy:
Right now, tiny horseshoe crabs are emerging from sandy nests by the thousands around the Great Salt Pond. While exploring Andy’s Way over the weekend, we found young horseshoe crabs smaller than a dime burrowing underneath the sand, as well as several breeding pairs of adult horseshoe crabs. This remarkable annual breeding event is always a treat to observe.
Adult horseshoe crabs began appearing in our waters within the last month or so. With males leading the way, the adults crawl up from deep ocean waters to shallow tidal flats all along the East and Gulf Coasts in the late spring and early summer. When the females arrive, they release pheromones into the water to attract males. The male horseshoe crabs, which are about two-thirds the size of the larger females, grasp onto the backend of the female, who then tows them to shore using a special appendage. Once on the beach, the female digs a nest and deposits her eggs. The male will then pass over the eggs and fertilize them. The breeding pair will repeat this process multiple times, producing 80,000 to
