Greetings fellow Horseshoe Crab folks,

It seems nearly impossible, but our second date to monitor and tag Horseshoe Crabs in Sandy Hook Bay and Raritan Bay got hit hard too just like our first outing two weeks ago by severe thunderstorms and lighting. Nevertheless, a bit a patience and bravado, and a lot of foolishness paid off and several people went out to count and tag crabs last Thursday evening, May 27th.

Let me express my gratitude to all those people who came out, but were turned away by the stormy weather or flooded roads.  I am sorry for the trouble this might have caused. I am hopeful that the weather will be better for the next HSC date on Saturday, June 12, at 8:30pm.

Otherwise, below is the data from last Thursday evening, May 27th. It looks like Sandy Hook and Leonardo had the most crab action. Congratulations!!

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1) Sandy Hook/Plum Island: Volunteers counted a total of 160 crabs. This number includes 114 single males, 1 single female, 21 mating pairs, and 1 cluster with 2 males and 1 female.

2) Atlantic Highlands/Mouth of Many Mind Creek: Volunteers counted a total of 58 crabs. This number includes 49 males, 1 single female, 7 pairs, and 1 dead male crab.

3) Middletown Township/Leonardo Public Beach: Volunteers counted a total of 99 crabs. This number includes 68 males, 30 females, 6 pairs, and 1 dead male crab.

4)  Union Beach/ Conaskonck Point: Volunteers conducted a quick count due to the weather and found a total of 8 crabs. This number includes 1 single male, 4 pairs, and 3 dead crabs.

 5) Aberdeen Township/Cliffwood Beach: Unfortunately, this site had to cancel due to the weather.

****Special note: Joe Martin, Leonardo Beach Captain, reported to me that he saw a Horseshoe Crab with a tag but was unable to catch it. Over the weekend, Donna M, a local Leonardo resident, also reported to me that on Friday, May 28 at about 6:15 a.m. she saw a tagged HSC on the Leonardo beach - the tag number was 190701.

I checked my files and the individual HSC was not tagged last year. It is a recent tagged crab. I do not have all the tagged numbers in yet for this season, but I am thinking it is from either Sandy Hook or Union Beach. It was not done in Atlantic Highlands.

Considering that the weather was against us again, everyone did a fabulous job. Thanks! Your time and energy is much appreciated in the name of citizen science!!

Please mark your calendars now for the next Horseshoe Crab monitoring event. It will take place on Saturday, June 12th, at 8:30pm.

Thanks & Fair winds,

Joe Reynolds

Co-Chair

BRWC

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