If you truly love nature, you will find beauty every where. ~ Laura Ingalls Wi l d e r
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10 YEARS OF GOOD TURNS ‘reTURN the Favor’ Helps Horseshoe Crabs Get Back on Their Feet
Spawning horseshoe crabs along Delaware Bay beaches.
By Meghan Kolk of The Wetlands Institute
T
he Wetlands Institute’s horseshoe crab rescue program, reTURN the Favor (RTF), celebrated its 10th season this year, and the RTF volunteers have a lot to be proud of. This dedicated team of horseshoe crab heroes has developed into a key piece of the conservation puzzle, with more than 150 trained volunteers contributing to the recovery of a keystone species in the Delaware Bay this year alone. Though horseshoe crabs are commonly found on beaches and in bays along the East Coast – including around Seven Mile Beach – the largest concentration of spawning horseshoe crabs in the world is found in the Delaware Bay. This population experienced a substantial decline resulting primarily from overharvesting and habitat degradation. Many other species within the local ecosystem are affected by this decline, as horseshoe crabs play a significant role in the food web. Their eggs and larvae are food for many species of finfish, all crab species, and several gastropods including whelks. The horseshoe crab’s most important ecological role is its connection to the survival of migratory shorebirds. Each May, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds make a stopover on the Delaware Bay beaches on their way from South America to their breeding grounds in the Arctic, timing their two-week rest to coincide with the horseshoe crab’s spawning season. In order to complete the long-distance migration, which can exceed 9,000 miles, shorebirds rely on nutrient-rich horseshoe crab eggs to double their body weight and replenish depleted energy reserves. As the number of horseshoe crabs has declined, so has the availability of eggs for consumption. Shorebird populations that rely on the food source are also plummeting, especially the red knot, a federally designated threatened species whose survival is critically dependent on the recovery of the horseshoe crab population.
In addition to being essential to the ecosystem, horseshoe crabs also play a critical role in human health and have directly impacted most people alive today. A solution called limulus amebocyte lysate produced from the blood cells of horseshoe crabs is used to test for the presence of bacteria in injectable drugs, vaccines, and implantable devices. The crabs are harvested to have approximately one-third of their blood removed for this purpose. Although the crabs are returned to the water alive, there is an estimated 10-15% mortality rate associated with this practice. Although New Jersey has a complete moratorium on the harvest of horseshoe crabs for anything other than biomedical uses, other states still harvest horseshoe crabs from the Delaware Bay to be used as bait for the conch and eel fishing industries. Changes in the condition of beaches and nearshore habitat have also impacted the population of this longlived species. During typical spawning activity, an estimated 10% of the population succumbs as a result of stranding. While coming ashore they can be easily over-
turned by waves, and are then vulnerable as their soft undersides are exposed to the sun and to predators. It is likely the amount of loss from stranding has increased due to erosion of beaches from rising tides and rougher waters. These erosional conditions create hazards, as rubble from past infrastructure is exposed and horseshoe crabs risk becoming trapped in structures such as jetties, groins, outfall pipes, boat ramps, houses, bulkheads, riprap, and bin blocks, or in the adjacent dunes and marshes. The RTF program was introduced in 2013 to address these forms of stranding mortality and to bring more awareness to horseshoe crab conservation. Volunteers are trained by conservation professionals to properly rescue overturned and trapped horseshoe crabs that would otherwise succumb to dehydration or predation on 18 beaches along the Delaware Bay. The program provides each volunteer the opportunity to take direct conservation action by saving the lives of horseshoe crabs one at a time, while the combined effort of all volunteers contributes to the recovery of a keystone species in the local ecosystem. Devoted volunteers go out on the beaches to rescue at all hours, often in the middle of the night, and endure challenging conditions and biting insects to make their rescues. It is labor-intensive work, especially on nights when there might be more than 1,000 crabs to rescue just on one section of beach. But volunteers agree that the hard work is worth the reward of saving lives and contributing to the conservation of many interconnected species. RTF also gives volunteers a sense of community as they share a passion for what they do, and many close friendships have been born out of the program. Volunteers share photos, experiences, triumphs, important information, articles of interest, and anything continued on page 56
Seven Mile Times
Endless Summer 2022
s e ve nm ile t im e s .c o m
e e a r t h a n d to te n d To forget how to dig th . ~ Mahatma Gandhi s the soil is to forget ourselve
55 BENEFITTING
T H E 8 TH A N N U A L
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Thanks to our sponsors who helped make this event a success! - Presenting Sponsors THE DILLER FAMILY AND FOUNDATION
ROSEMARY & BILL HANKOWSKY
MARGARET McALLISTER & ERIK HIRSCH
- Gold Level -
WILL & JENNIE WERMUTH - Silver Level Avalon Flooring Atlantic Capes Fisheries/Cold Spring Fish & Supply Co./Lund’s Fisheries Burke Subaru Roberta “Bert” DeVries Hafetz & Associates PSEG Wayne & Kay Renneisen Tom Russell / Stone Harbor Marina Seven Mile Times John & Amy Swanson Jon Tullis Washington Inn Laura Wilson & Mark Menting
- Bronze Level Jeffrey H. & Lee Alderton Brown & Brown Insurance Ray & Ellen Burke Drs. Timothy & Rosemary Clay Citizens Bank Concentus Wealth Advisors CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC Jim Donohue & Carol Mager Halliday Financial Lois & Barry Hamilton Harbor Outfitters Deborah & Michael Hays Hays Sheet Metal, Inc.
OceanFirst Philadelphia Phillies Jane Rakestraw RBC Wealth Management / The Boland Investment Group Peter & Amy Sargent Scarborough Marine Group Hank & Julie Schellenger ShopRite of Hunterdon County Philip & Amy Welsh WSFS Bank Yacht Club of Stone Harbor
! u o y k n a h T
For a complete list of sponsors visit wetlandsinstitute.org/sc2022 s e v e n m i le t im e s . com
Endless Summer 2022
Seven Mile times
I n t h e p re s e n c e o f n a t u re , a w i l d d e l i g h t r u n s t h ro u g h t h e m a n , i n s p i t e o f re a l s o r ro w s . ~ R a l p h Waldo Emerson
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reTURN the Favor volunteer on a rescue walk.
Horseshoe crabs trapped behind an old bulkhead.
Overturned horseshoe crabs in need of rescue.
else horseshoe crab-related on an RTF Facebook group. These posts keep volunteers connected and motivated throughout the season, and a party at the end of the season allows volunteers to get together and celebrate their achievements. In addition to rescuing the crabs, volunteers collect important data to support habitat restoration. Over the past 10 years, beach restoration along the
Delaware Bay has become one of the most significant strategies to protect spawning habitat for horseshoe crabs and foraging habitat for migratory shorebirds. The data collected by RTF volunteers has played a vital role in that work by identifying beaches in need of rubble removal and/or sand replenishment. Program coordinators recently developed an interactive map for biologists and the public to visualize program data in-
cluding key hazards and beaches to prioritize restoration projects and effort. The RTF program has grown significantly in the past decade as its message reaches more people each year and volunteers become more dedicated to the work of conservation and outreach. The enthusiasm of the volunteers to spread the word and share their passion as horseshoe crab ambassadors has played a huge role
Seven Mile Times
Endless Summer 2022
s e ve nm ile t im e s .c o m
e w i l d a n d f re e . A l l g ood t h i n g s a r n ~ Unkno w
in the growth of the program. In its first year, the program started with six walk leaders who contributed 45 volunteer hours over 43 individual walks and saved close to 5,000 horseshoe crabs. Those numbers have steadily increased each year, as shown by the same statistics from 2021: 107 walk leaders, 2,605 volunteer hours, 867 individual walks, and almost 153,000 crabs rescued! In total (not including 2022 data) more than 840,000 crabs have been saved. The Wetlands Institute’s partners associated with this program include the Executive Office of Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network-Manomet, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, Citizens United for the Maurice River, Friends of Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, The Nature Conservancy, New Jersey Audubon Society, and New Jersey Fish and Wildlife. Each part-
ner coordinates one or more of the program’s beaches to offer support to the volunteers. Some of the partners, including The Wetlands Institute, offer public walks to introduce the local community, as well as long-distance visitors, to the program. These public walks have resulted in recruiting a number of long-term volunteers who get hooked right from their first walk. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can attend a training session in the spring. These group sessions typically are held in mid-to-late April, and will be posted on the website when dates are available. To learn more about the program and explore the new interactive map, visit returnthefavornj.org. The RTF program is currently supported by Ocean Wind (An Orsted and PSEG project) and the Marshall Reynolds Foundation.
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FRI. - SUN., SEPT. 9-11
Grab your friends
& hit the streets of Avalon for great END-OF-SEASON SPECIALS! Allison Valtri Interiors/ Shutters to Shades
Complete Interiors
Annabelle
Fred’s Avalon Liquor Store
3033 Dune Drive Free Gift Bag & Hunter Douglas Rebates
~
2174 Dune Drive Up to 70% Off Selected Merchandise
Show Your Support of The Wetlands Institute
Armadillo, Ltd.
Give a Gift Membership or Join Membership connects you with The Wetlands Institute and helps sustain their lifesaving work. Join at wetlandsinstitute.org/members
Our symbolic American Oystercatcher, Horseshoe Crab, and Diamondback Terrapin adoptions are a great way to directly support conservation! Adopt today at wetlandsinstitute.org/adopt
The Wetlands Institute’s 50:50 Raffle A limited number of 50:50 raffle tickets are available! Win 50% of the proceeds, up to $12,000*. Tickets $100 each. Call today: 609-368-1211. Drawing December 9 at The Wetlands Institute.
Orange Cryo Wellness
3101 Dune Drive $25 Whole Body Session (normally $39) plus New Clients receive special discounts and more
Seashore Floors
2258 Dune Drive End of Season Sales on Select Items
2300 Dune Drive 10% Off Luxury Vinyl, Hardwood & Carpet; 20% Off Tile
2761 Dune Drive Up to 30% Off Selected Merchandise
Participating Hassis Men’sStores: Shop
Serendipity Shops
Avalon Hardware
Here Comes The Sun
2809 Dune Drive 75% Off Everything
2109 Dune Drive 20% Off Seasonal Merchandise, Free Popcorn
Avalon Surf Shop
2101 Ocean Drive Up to 75% Off Entire Store
Hoy’s 5&10
2800 Dune Drive 25% Seasonal Items
2249 Dune Drive 50% Clothing and Select Merchandise
Island Lily Boutique
2268 Dune Drive 40% Off Inventory on Friday, 50% Off on Saturday/Sunday
She Be Sufin’
2516 Dune Drive 50-70% Off Summer Clothing
Sol Luna Yoga
2819 Dune Drive 10-40% Off Select Items
Spa Avalon
Beach Bound Books
2513 Dune Drive 20-50% Off Merchandise, Clearance Markdowns
2488 Dune Drive 15% Off All Retail in Honor of 15th Anniversary
Blufish Designs
2307 Dune Drive 25-50% Off Entire Store
It’s All Good
The Preppy Palm
Breezin’ Up
2009 Dune Drive Free Gift
City Hydration
2819 Dune Drive 50% Off Spring and Summer Merchandise
2123 Dune Drive 40% Off Melissa & Doug Plus Discounts Throughout Store
Adopt a Marsh Critter
2320 Dune Drive 20% Off All In-Stock Merchandise
2021 Dune Drive 15% Off Custom Upholstery
Lilly Pulitzer
2501 Dune Drive End of Season Sales on Select Items
Louella
2166 Dune Drive 20% All Services, Plus Free B12 Shot for Anyone That Infuses
Closet Boutique
2509 Dune Drive 50-70% Off Select Items
Michele’s Full Service Salon & Spa 2345 Dune Drive 10% Off All Retail Products
2533 Dune Drive End-of-Season Storewide Discounts
The Spot
2538 Dune Drive Markdowns on Clothing, Sunglasses & Accessories
Tiger Lily
268 21st Street Up to 70% Off Clothing and Accessories
Vineyard Vines
2619 Dune Drive Select Items on Sale
Shop Hop Dining and Drink Specials Bobby Dee’s Rock’n Chair
VisitAvalonNJ.com *$12,000 if all 240 tickets are sold. No substitution of the offered prize may be made. Winner does not need to be present to win. Must be 18 years of age or older to participate. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call toll-free 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537). Net proceeds will be used to further environmental education and conservation programs at The Wetlands Institute. RA# 10-22 481-5-25895 Middle Township.
Stop by the website for a complete list of participating stores, specials and hospitality, or pick up a Shop Hop brochure available at participating stores in August!
Fall is beautiful at The Wetlands. Plan a visit today! s e v e n m i le t im e s . com
Endless Summer 2022
Seven Mile times