Marine Biology Commons^™

An Evaluation Of Mississippi Barrier Islands As A Spawning And Nesting Habitat For The American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus, With Implications For Island Restoration, Richard Fulford, Rebecca A. Haehn

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The American horseshoe crab (HSC), Limulus polyphemus, is an economically and ecologically important species in the coastal ecosystem. Horseshoe crabs inhabit the continental shelf and estuaries from Maine to the central Gulf Coast and the Yucatán Peninsula. Although the presence of horseshoe crabs in southern Mississippi is known locally, there are limited data specific to the area and population, particularly regarding spawning and nesting habitat. Surveys of HSC presence, habitat use, and behavior on Mississippi barrier islands were conducted between March and November 2007 to 2009. These data, combined with habitat surveys of the barrier islands, were used to …