June 26, 2013 — The race began shortly after Hurricane Sandy struck. How could about a mile of vital habitat be restored by early spring so the horseshoe crab spawn on Delaware Bay beaches would have a place to lay eggs?
But a group of environmental advocates, consultants and experts, fueled with about $1.2 million in grants obtained through numerous foundations and nonprofit organizations, managed to beat the clock.
And as the spawn comes to an end and the shorebirds that feed on the eggs on their way north have departed fat and happy, the overwhelming feeling among those involved is relief and hope.
By restoring the narrow beaches, the horseshoe crabs have a place to spawn. And if the crabs have a place to spawn, the thousands of migratory shorebirds that use Delaware Bay beaches as a rest stop have a place to feed and pack on the grams before they head north to the Arctic to breed.
"It shows us what can be done when we have the resources and effort," said Tim Dillingham, executive director of the American Littoral Society. "I hope it's a model for the future, because there are a lot of places along the entire coast that need this kind of attention."
Shortly after Sandy struck in October, wildlife biologist Larry Niles and state Department of Environmental Protection principal zoologist Amanda Dey flew over the Delaware Bay beaches, where the crabs spawned and the shorebirds fed.
Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City