Magnitude of harvest of Atlantic horseshoe crabs,<Emphasis Type="Italic">Limulus polyphemus</Emphasis>, in Pleasant Bay,Massachusetts |
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| Authors: | Deborah?Rutecki Email author" target="_blank">Ruth?H?CarmichaelEmail author Ivan?Valiela |
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| Institution: | 1.Marine Biological Laboratory,Boston University Marine Program,Woods Hole |
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| Abstract: | Atlantic horseshoe crabs,Limulus polyphemus, are currently harvested for biomedical, scientific, and bait purposes. In recent years, changes in population abundance
and magnitude of harvesting have raised concerns about the status of this resource. We found horseshoe crab harvest in Pleasant
Bay, Massachusetts, was selective by sex and size. Biomedical harvest preferred larger individuals and females, the scientific
harvest preferred smaller individuals and males, and the bait harvest preferred females. Total 2001 harvest for all purposes
accounted for the mortality of ∼1–2% the adult population. Biomedical harvest accounted for the greatest loss of horseshoe
crabs from Pleasant Bay, ∼1–1.6% of the total population. Although biomedical harvest had the lowest associated mortality
rate (∼10–15%), many more crabs were harvested from Pleasant Bay for biomedical purposes than for other uses. The scientific
harvest accounted for the mortality of ∼0.4% of the population, and bait harvest accounted for the smallest mortality at ∼0.06%
of the population. Harvest mortality rate was estimated to be lower in Pleasant Bay than in other Cape Cod areas and may be
lower than natural mortality in the population. This study is the first qualitative investigation of commercial harvest on
horseshoe crab populations and emphasizes that harvest pressures on different populations need to be individually evaluated. |
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