A Field Update from Stephanie Hall, FI Conservancy
June 27, 2026
What a season it has been! The 2026 Horseshoe Crab monitoring program has wrapped up another successful year on Fishers Island, and it has been such a joy to see the level of community involvement and genuine curiosity around these incredible marine arthropods.
This year we recorded 154 Horseshoe Crabs compared to 147 cumulative counts in 2025, an encouraging uptick that mirrors what sites across the region are seeing. Stephanie notes that many Long Island sites, especially Jones Beach, are reporting record numbers this year.
Some standout moments from the season include tagging 19 individuals, including 7 in a single evening which set a new site record! The team also recorded 12 recaptures, meaning previously tagged individuals that showed back up. This kind of data is especially valuable because it helps researchers track survival rates and migration patterns over time. To put that in perspective, a Horseshoe Crab tagged in Maryland back in 2015 was recently reported at Jones Beach, and these animals can live anywhere from 20 to 40 years.
On the nesting side, hatching and larval development is now underway at Dock Beach. If you look closely at the sand near the water’s edge you may spot tiny clear egg sacs, smaller than a grain of rice, left behind by females who can lay up to 80,000 eggs in a single season. If you come across a nest please leave it undisturbed and give these ancient creatures the best chance to thrive.
Monitoring will continue for a few more nights as we close out the season. Thank you to everyone who came out and was part of it this year!
Stephanie Hall
FI Conservancy
