Mentor/s
Professor Kasinak
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
The American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) is an economically and ecologically important species with beneficial connections to human health. Horseshoe crabs in Long Island Sound (LIS) have been on the decline for decades due to habitat loss and overharvesting. Recently additional factors have been analyzed to assess if they are negatively impacting the horseshoe crab population, such as parasite infestation. The horseshoe crab flatworm, Bdelloura candida was analyzed to assess infestation patterns Long Island Sound horseshoe crabs. Data collected from horseshoe crabs (n=495) in 2019 was analyzed to see if there is any relationship between sex, shell condition (age proxy), and parasite infestation load. Preliminary analysis shows that the most crabs that were infested with parasites had higher shell conditions, indicating older age. Overall, there were more male horseshoe crabs that were infested compared to females, however the females that were infested had more intense infestations on average than males. While further assessment is needed, the results of this study provide valuable insight into factors affecting the horseshoe crab population in LIS.
College and Major available
College of Arts and Sciences, Biology
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-26-2024 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-26-2024 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Prize Categories
Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Best Visuals, Most Creative
Assessing patterns of parasites in American Horseshoe crabs in Long Island Sound
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
The American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) is an economically and ecologically important species with beneficial connections to human health. Horseshoe crabs in Long Island Sound (LIS) have been on the decline for decades due to habitat loss and overharvesting. Recently additional factors have been analyzed to assess if they are negatively impacting the horseshoe crab population, such as parasite infestation. The horseshoe crab flatworm, Bdelloura candida was analyzed to assess infestation patterns Long Island Sound horseshoe crabs. Data collected from horseshoe crabs (n=495) in 2019 was analyzed to see if there is any relationship between sex, shell condition (age proxy), and parasite infestation load. Preliminary analysis shows that the most crabs that were infested with parasites had higher shell conditions, indicating older age. Overall, there were more male horseshoe crabs that were infested compared to females, however the females that were infested had more intense infestations on average than males. While further assessment is needed, the results of this study provide valuable insight into factors affecting the horseshoe crab population in LIS.
Students' Information
Angelina Rabadi, biology, year of graduation: 2024