| Radio programs for the week of 12 May 2003 |
For more information: Survey Form: Florida Marine Research Institute Toll-free phone: 1-866-252-9326 E-mail: horseshoe@fwc.state.fl.us
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Florida's Horseshoe Crab is one of the most unusual-looking of the
state's many creatures. And despite it's being around and unchanged for
millions of years, there's little known about the status of its
population. That's about to change. Tallying Horseshoe Crabs, I'm
Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment... Scientists in Florida are hoping to find out more about the state's
horseshoe crabs--the tank-like and spike-tailed creatures regularly seen
spawning on Florida beaches. There's a survey underway, asking beachgoers
to report horseshoe sightings. Biologist Gretchen Ehlinger says there's a
concern the population is dwindling, as evidenced by a change seen when
netting turtles on an unrelated research project... |
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fe30513
Even someone who has never seen a horseshoe crab before can use the creature's unmistakably pre-historic looks to participate in a survey that's using citizen-scientists to help report spawning behavior. Tales of Horseshoe Crabs, I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment As researchers in Florida are trying to get a handle on the state's horseshoe crab population, they're looking to beachgoers for help. The unusual looking creatures are in the midst of spawning season, which brings them to the shallow waters of the state's beaches, making citizen-sightings very common. State biologist Gretchen Ehlinger says there'll be little doubt about properly identifying the Horseshoe Crab.... |
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fe30514
Be on the lookout for Horseshoe Crabs. There's a survey underway to identify the Florida beaches that support Horseshoe Crab spawning, and to determine how intensely they're used. Counting On Horseshoe Crabs, I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment... If you're at the beach during the next several weeks, scientists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission would appreciate your help. They're calling for citizen-science in a survey of horseshoe crabs in Florida. The well-armored creatures move in near the beach to spawn, and the survey asks for a report of when, where and how many crabs are seen... |
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fe30515
The Horseshoe Crab has managed to survive--almost without changes--since the age of the dinosaur. But there's concern its numbers are in decline. That could have a long and dramatic effect on other wildlife. Benefits of Horseshoe Crabs, I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment... Scientists studying horseshoe crabs in Florida are in the midst a project to help them determine the size of the horseshoe crab population here, and whether it is declining as it is in other parts of the creature's range. Biologist Gretchen Ehlinger says population changes for the horseshoe crab might be slow to reveal and take long to reverse... |
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fe30516
If you've spent any time at all on Florida's beaches, chances are you've encountered a Horseshoe crab. But did you know they're both a valued commercial catch and essential in medical research. Humans and Horseshoe Crabs, I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment... If a survey now underway indicates a decline in Florida's Horseshoe Crab population, researchers say it is likely a loss of habitat and an increase in commercial fishing that is to blame. In the past 30 years, the commercial catch grew from 6,000 crabs a year to two-point-four (M) million. Biologist Gretchen Ehlinger studies the horseshoe crab... |