October 27, 2017 — PORTLAND, Maine — Interstate fishery regulators will soon begin work on a new effort to get a handle on the population health of horseshoe crabs on the East Coast.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says its assessment of the horseshoe crab stock will begin this month.
Horseshoe crabs are economically important in part because of their role in medicine. They are harvested for their blue blood, which is used to make sure medical products aren’t contaminated. Horseshoe crab blood contains a chemical that is used to detect bacteria.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Washington Post