Assessing patterns of parasites in Long Island Sound horseshoe crabs
Mentor/s
Prof. Jo-Marie Kasinak
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Assessing patterns of parasites in Long Island Sound horseshoe crabs Megan Prettyman, Robert Bevilacqua, Jo-Marie Kasinak M.S. Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Ave, Fairfield CT, 06825 The American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, plays an important role in both biomedical and ecological fields. Their blood is used to make Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), because it clots on contact with bacteria and other pathogens. Because of this, they are harvested and bled so that this compound can be used in the pharmaceutical industry to test vaccines, medical devices, and other products for contamination. Ecologically, horseshoe crab eggs serve as an important food source to migratory shorebirds, such as the Red Knot, during their migration. Limulus can be found along the east coast of North America and the population is stable in many areas, however, it is declining in the Long Island Sound (LIS). A parasite has previously been identified, Bdelloura candida, which lives and lays eggs in the organism’s gills. This study sought observe comparisons of parasite load in LIS horseshoe crabs. Through Project Limulus horseshoe crabs were tagged and released all over the coast of Connecticut. Data was collected on Limulus between May 2024 and mid-July 2024 including sex, size, location, shell condition (scale of 1-3), and parasite load (scale of 0-4). Analysis of the data is ongoing and will be assessed to identify trends between parasite load and other factors. This analysis will be relevant in learning more about the parasite and how it may affect the horseshoe crab’s population, including important conservation implications.
College and Major available
Coastal & Marine Science
Academic Level
Undergraduate student
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-25-2025 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-25-2025 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Prize Categories
Best Multidisciplinary Research or Collaboration, Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Best Visuals
Assessing patterns of parasites in Long Island Sound horseshoe crabs
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Assessing patterns of parasites in Long Island Sound horseshoe crabs Megan Prettyman, Robert Bevilacqua, Jo-Marie Kasinak M.S. Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Ave, Fairfield CT, 06825 The American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, plays an important role in both biomedical and ecological fields. Their blood is used to make Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), because it clots on contact with bacteria and other pathogens. Because of this, they are harvested and bled so that this compound can be used in the pharmaceutical industry to test vaccines, medical devices, and other products for contamination. Ecologically, horseshoe crab eggs serve as an important food source to migratory shorebirds, such as the Red Knot, during their migration. Limulus can be found along the east coast of North America and the population is stable in many areas, however, it is declining in the Long Island Sound (LIS). A parasite has previously been identified, Bdelloura candida, which lives and lays eggs in the organism’s gills. This study sought observe comparisons of parasite load in LIS horseshoe crabs. Through Project Limulus horseshoe crabs were tagged and released all over the coast of Connecticut. Data was collected on Limulus between May 2024 and mid-July 2024 including sex, size, location, shell condition (scale of 1-3), and parasite load (scale of 0-4). Analysis of the data is ongoing and will be assessed to identify trends between parasite load and other factors. This analysis will be relevant in learning more about the parasite and how it may affect the horseshoe crab’s population, including important conservation implications.
Students' Information
Robert Bevilacqua - Coastal & Marine Science - Honors student - graduating May 2025