Horseshoe Crabs

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Horseshoe Crabs Protect Us, Let’s Help Protect Them! 

Learn About Their Role in Vaccine Safety Plus 3 Ways to Make a Difference


By: Amey Best, NECWA Volunteer


Childhood summers on the eastern shore meant the familiar sight of horseshoe crabs—living links to a prehistoric past. Seeing a poster about these ancient mariners and their importance to the Massachusetts coastline at the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA) booth brought back memories. I had to show my daughter, “They are older than dinosaurs!”


My intention was to point out the fascinating coolness of horseshoe crabs as NECWA all-stars Krill and Billie-Jo empowered us with information (and stickers). 

What I wasn’t expecting to discover, however, was their life-saving secret: Horseshoe crabs have a unique blood component crucial for ensuring the safety of vaccines and medical products worldwide.

Horseshoe Crabs Keep Our Vaccines Safe

Did you know that horseshoe crabs have VIBRANT blue blood? Some would call it “smurf blue.” 

Not only is it shocking in color, it’s a biomedical miracle! It contains important immune cells that are sensitive to toxic bacterial products.

Vaccines must be tested for bacterial contamination, specifically for endotoxins, to ensure safety before distribution. Scientists discovered in the 1970s that a feature of horseshoe crab blood aids this process, leading to the development of the widely used Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) test. It remains the most predominant method for endotoxin testing today.

Imagine the countless lives saved by this creature's contribution since the testing protocol was approved in 1977. In 2020, horseshoe crab blood was vital in ensuring the rapid and safe deployment of COVID-19 vaccines during the global health crisis.

Learn more about the biomedical use and significance of horseshoe crab blood here. This ancient species has done so much for human health. Now, they need our help…

Horseshoe crabs are facing an alarming population decline due to overexploitation for not only biomedical purposes, but also for bait in the conch fishery in Massachusetts waters.

Ending the use of horseshoe crabs for bait is critical for their survival. 

The good news: In 2024, Massachusetts banned the harvest of horseshoe crabs for bait during part of their spawning season.

The bad news: The fishing industry in Massachussetts kills up to 140,000 horseshoe crabs annually for bait

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3 Ways to Help Horseshoe Crabs Now


  1. Support Bill H.898: Passing this bill would prohibit the killing of horseshoe crabs for bait in Massachusetts.


  1. Urge your legislators to co-sponsor and support H.898 (find templates at the link below!).


  1. Email Sharl@horseshoecrabs.org with your name, organization, and city/town to sign the Letter to the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (see the letter here).


Scan QR code below or visit https://horseshoecrabs.org/ to learn more about Bill H.898.


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