Wednesday, April 10th
5pm – 6:30pm
South Coastal Library (43 Kent Avenue, Bethany Beach, DE)

ATTEND ORIENTATION / JOIN THE SURVEY

Registration required: (Click here to register!)

Contact vspice@inlandbays.org with any questions

Each year thousands of horseshoe crabs begin their annual spawn along the sandy beaches of the Inland Bays around the full and new moons between May and June. Horseshoe crabs are vital to the health of many shorebird species, and also to humans! Documenting the numbers of spawning crabs over time can help scientists gauge the health of the population and predict future changes.

Surveys take place 2 days before, the day of, and 2 days after the full and new moons between May and June. Survey start times are dependent on the night time high tide, but typically occur between 8:30 pm and 11:30 pm and usually last between 1-2 hours. You do not need to attend every survey (it is perfectly okay to come out once or twice). Interested in participating in the Horseshoe Crab Spawning and Tagging Survey this year?

Come to the orientation meeting where we will go over the basics of the survey, simulate the survey protocol, hand out survey schedules, and sign up for survey teams. While this orientation meeting is not mandatory to participate, it is HIGHLY recommended!

Due to the program’s growing size and popularity the location has been changed to the South Coastal Library in Bethany. Unfortunately, food is prohibited at this new location, so please make proper arrangements.