Can Horseshoe Crabs Survive Humans?

The horseshoe crab has been one of the most successful survivors of all time, surpassing even cockroaches by surviving for 445 million years, 130 million years longer than cockroaches. Horseshoe crabs have survived asteroids hitting the earth, at least three ice ages, changes in sea level, and large fluctuations in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Part of the reason the crabs have been such great survivors is their germ-retardant blood. When in the presence of bacteria, the copper-containing blood the same color as lapis lazuli, a blue rock, turns into a jelly and forms a protective barrier against the bacteria. In addition to their germ-proof blood, horseshoe crabs have gills that allow them to breathe both in and out of water, ten eyes, and the ability to produce 90,000 fertile eggs a year. With all these adaptations that have allowed horseshoe crabs to survive, the only threat to the crabs is, surprisingly enough, humans. Horseshoe crabs are grabbed in great numbers to be used for eel and conch fishing. Also, their blood is used by the medical industry to ensure drugs are toxin-free. The horseshoe crabs are released back into the wild, but rarely survive with decreased amounts of blood. I think this article shows the destructive impact of humans on nature. A species that has survived for 445 million years is only threatened because of human activity. Our presence on the world is throwing off the balance of organisms on the world. And how many species are there who, similar to horseshoe crabs, are being slaughtered by the human population and could survive much longer without human influence?

Leisher, Craig. "The Horseshoe Crab: World’s Most Successful Animal." Cool Green Science. The Nature Conservancy, 16 Dec. 2016. Web. 15 June 2017. <http://blog.nature.org/science/2013/06/17/the-horseshoe-crab-the-worlds-most-successful-animal/>.