Lagoonal Back Bay Beaches as Spawning Habitat for Horseshoe Crabs

Horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) are valued for bait, their blue blood, and as a critical food resource for the endangered Red Knot. While there are large scale surveys for spawning adults and egg densities in expansive coastal beaches, one critical missing habitat which may greatly support the regional Horseshoe Crab populations is lagoonal back bay beaches. Data from our samples collected in 2024 from Barnegat Bay, New Jersey found an average egg density of 152,006m⁻², with some samples exceeding 500,000m⁻². Additionally, data demonstrated Horseshoe Crab eggs present in over 50% of the samples, indicating these regions are valuable spawning habitat for Horseshoe Crabs.