Limulus in the Limelight

by Tanacredi, John T.

• ISBN13: 9780306466816
• ISBN10: 0306466813
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-12-01
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

Limulus in the Limelight: A Species 350 Million Years in the Making and in Peril? contains 14 chapters covering the horseshoe crab's biology, ecology and evolutionary development. The book is a result of three mini-conferences held between 1996 and 2000 celebrating the populations in NY harbor. This book exposes the impacts of over fishing on this species; clarifies the future research agenda for the species worldwide and emphasizes the need for conservation of this fascinating creature's estuaries/ocean habitats. Biologists, ecologists, science educators, and conservationists will welcome this book because it is aimed at the preservation of Limulus, not only for its pharmacological interest but for the mystery related to its longevity. Limulus is a unique animal which has provided numerous uses for man over the years, from fertilizer to bait to medical research. However, if this species is not protected soon, it will be lost for the future.

Author Biography

Dr John T. Tanacredi is Chief, Division of Natural Resources for the National Park Service at Gateway National Recreation Area. He is a Research Associate in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History and at the Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation. He holds Adjunct Full Professor of Environmental Sciences at Hofstra University and Polytechnic University.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Limulus in the Limelight	1	(6)
Sylvia A. Earle
PART I: LOCAL SPECIES WITH GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS
Horseshoe Crabs Imperiled? The Fate of a Species 350 Million Years In the Making	7	(10)
John T. Tanacredi
PART II: BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
Two Perspectives: Horseshoe Crabs During 420 Million Years Worldwide, and the Past 150 Years in Delaware Bay	17	(24)
Carl N. Shuster Jr.
The Conservation of Horseshoe Crabs: What Can We Learn From The Japanese Experience?	41	(12)
Mark L. Botton
A Unique Medical Product, LAL from the Horseshoe Crab and Monitoring the Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Population	53	(12)
Benji Lynn Swan
PART III: BEHAVIOR AND DIVERSITY STUDIES
Tracks and Trails	65	(14)
Carl N. Shuster, Jr.
Biomedical Products from the Horseshoe Crab: Lessons for Sound Resource Management and Conservation	79	(6)
Thomas J. Novitsky
Issues and Approaches in the Regulation of the Horseshoe Crab Fishery	85	(8)
Josh Eagle
The Life History of Horseshoe Crabs	93	(10)
Robert E. Loveland
Horseshoe Crab Management and Resource Monitoring in New Jersey, 1993-1998	103	(16)
Peter J. Himchak
Sherry L. Hartley
PART IV: PRESENT DAY INVESTIGATIONS
Horseshoe Crab Surveys Using Underwater Videography	119	(12)
Christine Kurtzke
Horseshoe Crabs: An Ancient Wonder of New York and a Great Topic for Environmental Education	131	(4)
Don Riepe
Living on Limulus	135	(12)
David Grant
An Estimate of Population Sizes of Two Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) Sites in Jamaica Bay	147	(10)
Diana H. Hanna
PART V: A FINAL WORD
Preserving a Living Fossil	157	(6)
Niles Eldredge
Contributors	163	(6)
Index	169