Greetings fellow HSC monitors & friends,

It was a lovely night to monitor Horseshoe Crabs last Saturday evening, at 8:30pm. We certainly paid for it in May, but we finally had a beautiful time near the bay to count & tag crabs.

Thanks to everyone who came out. I know many sites where short-handed, so much obliged for those people were able to take a bit of time out to help us monitor horseshoe crabs at one of the five sites in either Sandy Hook Bay or Raritan Bay.

Of special note on Saturday were the sight of a few tagged crabs at Sandy Hook and in Leonardo. At Sandy Hook, the crab was a male that was originally tagged at Sandy Hook on 5/9/2009. At Leonardo, the tagged crab was one that was tagged by the Leonardo crew this year.

Please mark your calendars now for the fourth and final date to monitor Horseshoe crabs. It will take place on Saturday, June 26, 2010, at 8:30pm. I hope to see you all then.

Below is the data from Saturday, June 12, 2010, starting at 8:30pm.

Sandy Hook/Plum Island

Total of 129 crabs. Out of this number there 94 single males and 3 single females. There were 9 pairs, and 3 clusters: 1 female + 2 males, 1 female + 3 males, and 1 female + 3 males. There were also 2 dead males crabs and 1 dead female crab. They also found a tagged horseshoe crab # 157059.

Atlantic Highlands/Many Mind Creek

Total of 70 crabs. Out of this number there 39 single males, and 12 pairs. Plus there was one cluster of 1 female and 5 males. Also, there was 1 dead female.

Middletown Township/Leonardo Public beach

Total of 81 crabs. Out of this number there were 76 single males, 5 single females, and 5 pairs. There was also found one tagged male crab #190701, which was tagged in 2010 earlier in the mating season.

Union Beach/Conaskonck Point

Total of 16 crabs. Out of this number there were 7 single males, 4 pairs, and 1 dead male crab.

Aberdeen Township/Cliffwood Beach

Total of 172 crabs. Out of this number there were 154 males, 15 females, There were also 148 pairs and 12 clusters. Moreover, there were 3 dead male crabs.

Much obliged for all your hard work and dedication. See you on Saturday, June 26th, at 8:30pm. Pray for nice weather again!

Thanks & Fair winds,

Joe Reynolds

Co-Chair

Bayshore Regional Watershed Council

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