Horseshoe crabs are one of Massachusetts’s most popular creatures—and these living fossils are an important part of our marine ecosystem.
During May and early June, horseshoe crabs visit our coastal beaches to spawn. This provides a special opportunity for the public to have an up-close encounter with this 400-million-year-old species.
Through this challenge, we want to learn where you go to see horseshoe crabs spawn. No matter your experience, we’d love to hear about your sightings!
How to participate:
• Check the tides and choose a beach – horseshoe crabs tend to spawn at high tide and are most often seen on Cape Cod, the South Coast, and the Islands.
• Find a crab! Look, admire, celebrate—but do not touch or disturb! Crabs can be found in pairs or burrowing in sand as they deposit eggs.
• Take a photo! Use our iNaturalist project (https://tinyurl.com/45ue7m5h) or online survey (https://tinyurl.com/44mcknjb) to share your sighting with DMF and the community!
You might even run into DMF staff, partner organizations, and volunteers as we collect long-term data to monitor spawning beaches and the health of horseshoe crab populations.
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Click here to download the 5/14/26 issue: 05-14-26 NALC_REV
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