Horseshoe Crabs, Marshes Help Keep State Connected; A Department of Natural Resources Campaign Aims to Teach about the Ecosystem

Stepzinski, Teresa, The Florida Times Union

Byline: TERESA STEPZINSKI

BRUNSWICK - It's the chain of life.

Horseshoe crabs common along Georgia's coast are real lifesavers in more ways than one. The blue copper-based blood of the ancient marine species is used to test the purity of human medicines. Its shell also contains properties used to speed blood-clotting and to make absorbable sutures.

Eggs laid by horseshoe crabs on Georgia beaches are vital food for migratory shorebirds such as the red knot, which travels from South America to Northern Canada. That draws birdwatchers, who flock to the coast to catch the annual migration stopover and therefore pump tourism dollars into the local economy.

From biomedical research helping to save …

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Publication information: Article title: Horseshoe Crabs, Marshes Help Keep State Connected; A Department of Natural Resources Campaign Aims to Teach about the Ecosystem. Contributors: Stepzinski, Teresa - Author. Newspaper title: The Florida Times Union. Publication date: September 9, 2006. Page number: Not available. © 2007 The Florida Times-Union. COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group.

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