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6 | site. areef to added being concrete of aload with barge positions Tugboat refuge. for space interstitial (prey) and organisms encrusting of abundance the for tures struc hard to attracted are other troughs; and ridges sand or beds in structure find species fish Various predators. the for food tial poten becoming structure, the around or on in, live of type some on depend species Many stages. life and species between considerably vary requirements Habitat reproduction. for habitat suitable and food available temperature, water suitable ments: require environmental essential three have Fish Environment Structured A bass. striped course, of and tautog flounder, summer bass, sea black cod, pollock, ling, as such species coastal nearshore of catches with along coast the Jersey off sharks or marlin tuna, bluefin giant like species game big ing includ fish sport of avariety pursued have anglers N from predators or as source of prey organisms that that organisms prey of source as or predators from of Reefs The Senior Fisheries Biologist Fisheries Senior Clarke, Peter By structured Digest &Wildlife Fish Jersey New sportfishing. Since the 1840s, recreational recreational the 1840s, Since sportfishing. recreational in history arich has Jersey ew habitat that serves either as a refuge arefuge as either serves that habitat

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- - - - early days of reef building were more like the wild wild the like more were building reef of days early the successful, Although anglers. recreational for opportunities increased provide and habitat tom bot hard natural simulate could areas nearshore in structure “artificial” placing that recognized clubs fishing and fishermen local 1960s, By the History Reef Artificial New Jersey’s featureless. and sandy flat, generally are Jersey New off waters coastal contrast, In habitat. fish for structure vertical comparable providing common, are bottoms rock live and coral natural south, our To Island. Long of south extend not do generally but live, to fish for structure vertical great provide areas These glaciers. receding by ago millennia deposited rubble andsmaller fields boulder outcroppings, rock by dominated topography nearshore have north our to States lacks. generally Jersey New type a habitat is bottom hard natural that reveal charts Nautical Where’s the Reef? NJFishandWildlife.com

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development, providing attachment surfaces for for surfaces attachment providing development, successional through habitat provide reefs Artificial Nature Mother Fooling miles. three beyond waters federal in are sites 13 remaining the while territory, waters state 3-mile the inside are these of Four Wildlife. and Fish by managed sites 17 to reef total the 2017,in bringing more two and 2005 in added was reef May. Another Cape to Hook Sandy from ranging sites reef mitted 14 of per atotal include to increased matrix reef the decade, first the Within County. Atlantic off Reef City Atlantic and County Ocean in Island Beach Long off reefs South State Garden and North State Garden County, Monmouth off Reef Girt Sea locations: reef four with began Wildlife and Fish standards. environmental and oversight with tem sys reef artificial an develop to Engineers of Corp Army States United the through permitting with Program Reef Artificial its began officially Wildlife practices. scientific and environmental best the on agrasp nor agencies state from oversight planning neither with pursuit, ascientific than west explore within the reef system. reef the within explore to barges or ships sunken 180 over providing ers, div scuba for opportunities boundless offers gram Pro Reef Artificial Jersey New the Additionally, feet. to 160 feet 40 from depths in offshore miles 24 to shoreline the from 1mile between ranging opportunities angling provide reefs Jersey New resource. the harvest to opportunity enhanced an have anglers areas, focused in congregate fish When Opportunities Fishing process. that for blocks building the provide reefs Artificial fish. little eat fish big put, ply Sim live. and shelter find reproduce, feed, to place a as reefs the using species fish predatory attract reefs these on residence take that and fish of species Prey structure. such upon depend that life and plant marine of species native In 1984, the New Jersey Division of Fish and and Fish of Division Jersey New the 1984, In 2020 Marine Issue Marine 2020 - - - - -

All photos: Artificial Reef Program/NJ Div. Fish and Wildlife towing and deployment onto the reef Economic Benefits site. Concrete loads weighing 3,000 Studies conducted by Fish and Wildlife’s Bureau tons cost an average of $110,000, of Marine Fisheries over the past 35 years have whereas rock is usually donated by determined that over 150 species of fish and other the dredging companies. utilize the New Jersey reef sites. The benefited species are endemic to New Jersey waters but are limited in extent and abundance by the lack Special of hard substrate. The artificial reef system supports Management Zone recreational fisheries for several important species, contributing to the $2.5 billion economic benefit of Protections New Jersey’s fisheries industry. Currently the reef program has made over 4,400 deployments with considerable investment from the Reef Materials recreational fishing community. In Historically, artificial reefs have been constructed 2017, through a regulation passed out of a wide range of materials, but recently they by the National Marine Fisheries have been limited to three general material types: Service, New Jersey received Spe- steel, rock and concrete. Steel is generally acquired cial Management Zone status for all in the form of ex-fishing vessels, barges, tugboats, federal waters reefs, with the New army tanks, and subway cars that are no longer Jersey Department of Environmental considered suitable for their intended service. Rock Protection applying the same rules to is often provided through many river and port deep- the state waters reefs. While fishing ening projects and consists of the largest material is still permitted, this bans all fixed encountered during the project period—preferably gear from being set and fished on the larger than a basketball and frequently bigger than seventeen New Jersey permitted reef a car. Concrete typically originates from bridge sites. Fish and Wildlife requested decommissioning projects, old piers and pilings plus Special Management Zone designa- road culverts or other pre-cast materials. tion to allow reef use to be focused on Before any material is deployed, its suitability is the recreational harvest of fish while evaluated. Those determined fit for deployment still allowing the sites to be used as are cleaned and prepared using best environmental essential fish habitat. received 3,000 tons of precast concrete material plus practices. For steel and metal ships or barges, clean- an 85-foot ex-fishing vessel, with plans to deploy ing often includes removing machinery, fuel, oil and additional material soon. The Bay Reef, electrical components from vessels. Once cleaned, a Primary Objectives New Jersey’s first estuarine reef site, has received bare steel hull and superstructure are ready to sink of the New Jersey 2,000 tons of dredge rock with plans to continue in the ocean. These artificial reef materials have a Artificial Reef Program low profile deployments as opportunity allows. typical lifespan on the ocean floor of 75 to 110 years Fish and Wildlife believes that the actual ben- depending on the metal’s quality and thickness at • Continue to construct hard-substrate reef habi- efits of the Artificial Reef Program transcend these the time of deployment. tat for marine fish and ; objectives, ranging well beyond the local New Jersey Concrete material goes through a similar pro- • Provide spawning, nursery, refuge and feeding system by providing benefit to species in the greater cess and must be prepared in accordance with the areas for marine life; Mid-Atlantic Bight region that utilize the coastal New Jersey Artificial Reef Management Plan which • Create fishing grounds for hook-and-line anglers; waters of New Jersey as part of their geographical disallows any floatable material including wood or • Provide underwater structures for scuba divers; range. Quality, structured habitat as a network or plastic waste. Concrete is a desirable material as it • Provide economic benefits to recreational fishing matrix benefits the entire region by adding biomass withstands the marine environment, often lasting and diving industries. and enhancing overall population health. hundreds of years while gaining strength over time. The intent of the reef program is not to change our Deployed rock undergoes the same inspection pro- marine environment but to enhance a small portion of cess, ensuring it is free of debris including most fine Where Are We Now? our sea floor to benefit marine species and the stake- sediment resulting from the dredging process. The Our two newest reefs — Delaware Bay Reef and holders of New Jersey. For those interested in becom- underlying goal of material selection is to identify Manasquan Inlet Reef — are both under construc- ing an active sponsor of the New Jersey Artificial Reef the largest material available for the selected site tion currently but open to recreational diving and Program, contact the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s that provides large interstitial space for habitation fishing. To date, the Manasquan Inlet Reef has Reef Coordinator at (609) 748-2020. by a variety of marine organisms. Donations are the Key The 170-foot Navy tanker Helis sunk May 2005 on the Garden State North Reef. New Jersey’s reef program has no budget for mate- rial acquisition and deployment. The program relies entirely on donations from private industry in the way of direct material donations and from non-profit organizations that have environmen- tal enhancement goals such as the Ann E. Clark’s “sportfishingfund.org” and a myriad of private fish- ing clubs along the coast. Vessels measuring 90 feet in length typically cost an average of $80,000 which includes acquisition, prepa- ration and removal of contaminants plus the final

2020 Marine Issue NJFishandWildlife.com New Jersey Fish & Wildlife Digest | 7 Horseshoe :

A PROFILE Horseshoe crab with barnacles attached to

By Samantha MacQuesten, Assistant Fisheries Biologist shell, Fortescue Beach. Matt Hencheck/NJ Div. Fish and Wildlife

Scientific Name: polyphemus 100,000 eggs. After spawning season, adults migrate species. Without adequate beaches for egg-laying, to nearby estuaries or to the continental shelf. Juvenile both the horseshoe crab — and the shorebirds that The , , Limulus polyphemus horseshoe will spend roughly the first two years rely on the eggs to fuel their long migration flight sometimes referred to as the “American horseshoe of their life in nearshore areas. — are at an extreme risk. crab,” is one of four worldwide horseshoe crab spe- History and Management: Historically, horse- cies that have roamed the earth for more than 445 shoe crabs were very popular in the bait industry for million years, even before the dinosaurs. While American and whelk fishermen. In the 1990s, “crab” is in the name, horseshoe crabs are more a severe decline in the horseshoe crab population closely related to spiders. resulted from consistent high harvests by the Range: Atlantic coast from Maine to Gulf of commercial fishing industry. To curtail the rapid Mexico; most abundant from New Jersey south to population decline, New Jersey implemented a Virginia. Delaware Bay has the largest spawning moratorium prohibiting horseshoe crab bait har- population of horseshoe crabs worldwide. vest in New Jersey waters. While some states along Size, Maturity and Age: Size varies greatly. Females the Atlantic coast still have a limited bait fishery, are larger than males and can reach lengths of up to A cluster of mating horseshoe crabs during there are widespread efforts to reduce horseshoe 33.5 inches (including tail). Males are around half

peak spawning season at Fortescue Beach. Matt Hencheck/NJ Div. Fish and Wildlife crab losses because of their ecological importance. to three-quarters of a female’s size. Horseshoe crabs Medicinal Purpose: Horseshoe crabs are highly reach sexual maturity around 10 years of age with a Habitat Importance: Beach development and important to the biomedical industry for a life expectancy of twenty years, on average. During shoreline erosion, both natural and man-made, extract known as amebocyte lysate (LAL), the years before maturity, they will molt an average Limulus are growing threats to future populations of horse- used to detect endotoxins such as and of 18-20 times before reaching their maximum size. E. Coli Salmo- shoe crabs. The limited number of suitable beaches in medicines and medical devices. Although a Biological Characteristics: The body has three nella for spawning make horseshoe crabs a vulnerable synthetic alternative is commercially available, the parts: front shell/head (prosoma), back shell (opis- thosoma) and a tail (telson) with small “spikes.” The tail is used to flip over their body when turned upside down in the . Contrary to popular belief, the tail is not a defense mechanism against preda- tors. Horseshoe crabs have several pairs of eyes, each with different degrees of light sensitivity. These crabs have no teeth; instead, they use bristles at the base of their legs to pass food to their mouth. Food: Primarily mollusks, crustaceans and vari- ous types of worms but also algae and small ani- mals on the ocean floor. Few predators can prey on horseshoe crabs because of their exoskeletal structure. Some species of sharks and sea turtles, as well as humans, are among these predators. While horseshoe crabs do not have many predators as adults, horseshoe crab eggs and larvae are a vital component in numerous biological food chains. These eggs and larvae provide a crucial food source for migrating shore birds, as well as for sea turtles. Habitat: During spawning season (spring), adult horseshoe crabs congregate on sandy beaches that are not disrupted by wave action in order to mate. Females lay many egg clusters for a seasonal total that may reach Biomedical Graph Source Document: http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/5ccae597HSC_StockAssessmentOverview2019.pdf

8 | New Jersey Fish & Wildlife Digest NJFishandWildlife.com 2020 Marine Issue pharmaceutical and medical device industries have been reluctant to make that switch given the serious health risks posed by a potential error in identifying FISHING-CRABBING-BOAT RIDES the endotoxin contamination. Bleeding horseshoe crabs is a highly specialized practice requiring a scientific collecting permit in New Jersey. While there is some mortality associated with extracting blood from crabs, the effect on horseshoe crab populations is negligible. A mortality rate of 15% of all bled crabs was used in the most recent coastwide stock assessment conducted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Current Research: • Several companies are attempting to create a syn- thetic bait product as effec- MISS AVALON AVALON LADY tive as horseshoe crabs. If a OCEAN FISHING BACK BAY FISHING lower cost product is success- 4 - 6 - 8 HOUR TRIPS FISHING - CRABBING CAMPS ful, harvesting crabs would PRIVATE FISHING CHARTERS PRIVATE PARTY CRUISES be unnecessary, positively impacting the commercial SUNSET CRUISES bait industry and horseshoe crab conservation efforts. • To estimate the spawning FISHING APRIL - DECEMBER population in the Delaware Matt Hencheck/NJ Div. Fish and Wildlife Bay, a survey was created in Author Samantha MacQuesten counts the FULL SCHEDULE MISSAVALON.COM 1990. Each year in May and number of male and female horseshoe June, different entities from crabs within a quadrat at Fortescue Beach. New Jersey and Delaware volunteer to survey the spawning beaches in each state. Due to the ever- AVALON FISHING CENTER changing landscape of the spawning beaches and their accessibility by both 14 Street & Ocean Drive, Avalon, NJ crabs and humans, the number of surveyed beaches changes each year. 609 967 7455 The 2019 survey covered 29 beaches. To perform the survey, volunteers use quadrats that measure one square meter with randomized sampling email [email protected] numbers and walk the beach counting the number of female and male FACEBOOK: missavalon horseshoe crabs that fall into each sampled quadrat. The same beaches are surveyed during the full and new moon cycles of the peak spawning period (May and June) at high tide. These data give scientists a representative number of spawning crabs for the entire season. • Additional data to estimate the horseshoe crab population in the Delaware Bay region comes from the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Ocean Trawl Survey. (See graph below.) While variability exists among the survey years, common trends are evident. The survey indicates varying trends in population fluctuations. Of interest is that populations of both males and females appear to be continuously increasing over the last five years.

Horseshoe Crab Catch Totals: NJ Ocean Trawl 1.20 1.00 0.80 0.60 CPUE 0.40 0.20 0.00 Gabriel Tackle Co. is a 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 father and son owned bait Year and tackle shop just minutes Male Female Juvenile from prime fi shing and crabbing areas. My son and Horseshoe crabs have been around for millions of years, yet humans are the I have been fi shing our entire biggest contemporary obstacle they have faced. It is highly important that lives and as fi shermen, we we continue to protect this vital species by preventing overfishing and by want to offer the best tackle protecting the beaches essential to their reproduction. at the best prices with top notch customer service and a price match guarantee. Sources: We pride ourselves on • http://www.asmfc.org/species/horseshoe-crab customer service. If you don’t see what you want just ask and we • https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/crustaceans/horseshoe-crabs/facts/ can get it for you. Whether you are a beginner or expert we have • https://www.vims.edu/research/departments/fisheries/programs/ everything to help make your day successful on the water! multispecies_fisheries_research/species_data/horseshoe_crab/index.php • https://www.fws.gov/northeast/pdf/horseshoe.fs.pdf Gabriel Tackle Co. • https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/ Horseshoe-Crab 561 Mantoloking Road, Brick, NJ • 732-714-6609 Shop online at: gabrieltackle.com

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