Bay-Region Horseshoe Crabs Key to Covid-19 Vaccine Success
Horseshoe crabs collected off the coast of Ocean City, Md. and the Delaware beaches are making a major contribution to the coronavirus vaccine, and probably every other vaccine you’ve received.
Their “magic” blue blood can test for contamination in a vaccine supply, to ensure you won’t get a bacterial infection from your shot. Cheryl Costello shows us the fascinating process of harvesting blood from these prehistoric creatures, right here in the Bay region.
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| Researchers ranch horseshoe crabs on Jekyll Island |
Horseshoe Crabs are fairly common in this region of the Bay. In Fall, large numbers of their empty shells wash up; it seems they have a major molt period from Sept to Nov.
However, we do not apparently have a sufficient population to be worth fishing for their blood, or the other major use for Horseshoe Crabs, eel bait.
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