Study: Horseshoe crabs key to shorebird survival

A new study confirms what bird-lovers have long believed - that horseshoe crabs are key to the health of imperiled shorebirds that drop by Delaware Bay every spring.

The research, published in the online journal of the Ecological Society of America , finds the eggs produced by female horseshoe crabs during their spawning season provide essential nourishment for red knots, which stop over on the shores of Delaware Bay during their annual migration to nesting grounds in the Arctic.

The chance a red knot will gain significant weight during its Delaware Bay stopover depends on how many horseshoe crab eggs it consumes, according to the study, which was led by scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey . Birds that don't gain enough weight before heading on toward the Arctic have a lower chance of surviving the year.

But the study also found that the birds' survival is closely tied to snow conditions when the birds get to their Arctic breeding grounds. In fact, the depth of the snow when the birds reached the end of their migration apparently mattered more than the birds' weight when they left Delaware Bay - a surprising finding, according to Conor McGowan, chief author of the study.

Researchers had expected that the less snow on the ground, the better the birds would fare, but the data showed exactly the opposite. McGowan said scientists don't have a ready explanation yet for the unexpected relationship.

The study comes amid debate over whether Maryland and other mid-Atlantic states are doing enough to rebuild the mid-Atlantic's horseshoe crab population so it can supply more eggs for the red knots, whose numbers have plummeted over the last 15 years. Conservationists want to see harvests banned altogether, but fisheries managers have defended the current limits, saying the crabs are recovering while the birds' fate depends on more than just the eggs.

The study does not look at how horseshoe crabs are being managed by state and federal authorities. But McGowan said it does confirm that horseshoe crab management is a key to conserving red knots.

"That’s one of the things we think we can control," he said, "as opposed to snow depth in the Arctic. We can’t send snow blowers up there."

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission , which oversees coastal catches, is working on developing an "adaptive" management plan for the mid-Atlantic's horseshoe crab population.  To read the journal article, go here .

Send me to the Ecological Society of America meeting! – Gravity's ...

By August, I’m usually more than a little frustrated with my research and feeling overwhelmed. But then I go to the annual Ecological Society of America meeting . I leave brimming with ideas and renewed excitement and motivation.

I love hearing about the latest research in my particular subfield, and I’m inspired by research seemingly unrelated to mine. I love meeting the scientists behind the research I admire. I love presenting and discussing my research with scientists who know about four million times more than me. I love all the dinners and coffee breaks spent geeking out about ecology and catching up with friends and colleagues.  Basically, ESA is more fun than Christmas.

Attending ESA isn’t cheap. A hotel and restaurants for 5 days, a plane ticket, and conference registration add up fast. The first two years I attended, I was funded by the ESA SEEDS program , which seeks to include more underrepresented students in ecology. The students and mentors I’ve met through SEEDS are incredible. Last year, my travel was covered under a grant that paid for almost all of my research in 2009-2010.

This year, I had hoped to attend ESA as a SEEDS alumni and peer mentor , but my application was turned down – not surprising considering how remarkable the other SEEDS students are! I also applied for travel funding from the ESA Student Section , but my application for that award was rejected, too. (Would you believe that they had way more applicants than usual this year?)

I’m getting my registration reimbursed by volunteering at the conference, and I’m trimming my hotel bill by sharing a room with 3 other people. A good stash of granola bars cuts down on the food cost. But I’m still looking at about $1000 to attend this year.  ESA is totally worth that amount, but I thought that if I shared ESA with you lovely readers, you might be willing to foot part of the bill.

So here’s the deal: for every $100 donated, I’ll interview one amazing ecologist at ESA and write a post about it. If you have particular ecologists, topics, or questions in mind, email me or leave a comment!

You can make a donation using Flattr or PayPal.

By August, I'm usually more than a little frustrated with my research and feeling overwhelmed. But then I go to the annual Ecological Society of America meeting. I leave brimming with ideas and renewed excitement and motivation. ESA is awesome... I love hearing about the latest research in my particular subfield, and I'm inspired by research seemingly unrelated ...

Ecological Society of America, 1996 Annual combined meeting

Ecological Society of America

The Ecological Society of America, historical data and some preliminary analyses

Ecology

Ecosystem services, benefits supplied to human societies by natural ecosystems