An interesting article concerning the plight of the horseshoe crab was published in The Atlantic newspaper recently. Although harvesting the blood of horseshoe crabs can have negative effects on the horseshoe crab population, the biomedical need for their blood gives value to their species. Once a synthetic replacement for their copper-based blood has been placed into play, the horseshoe crab population could be, once again, considered simply bait. It’s crucial to the survival of horseshoe crabs that people become familiar with them, & recognize them as the harmless, fascinating sea animals that they are. If horseshoe crabs become popular and beloved as whales have become, people will begin to care for them & want to protect them. This is what motivated me to write The Bumpy, Lumpy Horseshoe Crab, about one of the most endearing marine creatures that lives at the edge of the sea.
The Pros and Cons to Harvesting Horseshoe Crab Blood for LAL Testing
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