An appreciable number of short-term bleeding effect studies have been conducted on horseshoe crabs (HSC), but few published long-term studies exist. This study will aid in better assessing potential impacts on the HSC population in South Carolina. By cooperating with this study, the biomedical company will contribute to the long-term management goal of a sustainable fishery. These short-term studies can contribute to evaluating current practices and future management policy.
This research will (1) determine long-term mortality effects of bleeding HSC by the biomedical industry in South Carolina beginning in 2010, (2) determine short-term mortality effects of tagging bled female HSCs by holding in saltwater pond, and (3) reexamine short term effects of bleeding by holding bled and unbled HSCs in pond.