Horseshoe crabs: Ancient creatures who are a medical marvel

Correspondent Conor Knighton visits New Jersey beaches along the Delaware Bay to learn about horseshoe crabs – mysterious creatures that predate dinosaurs – whose very blood has proved vital to keeping humans healthy by helping detect bacterial endotoxins. He talks with environmentalists about the decline in the horseshoe crab population, and with researchers who are pushing the pharmaceutical industry to switch its use of horseshoe crab blood with a synthetic alternative used in medical testing.

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[m.alequin]

I'm glad to know that there is a human representing their best interests and not letting them be used and abused. They live on this earth too, when are humans getting this into their head. We are in 2024 and still testing on living beings that have no voice.

[jurassictyrantkingYT]

A Survivor from the age of dinosaurs 🦕, And a prehistoric species that is proving valuable to humans today. Humans are now proving to be the most difficult creature they've ever come across threatens their survival as an ancient species.

[pedallovecommunications]

What a fascinating and valuable story. Thank you so much!

[MickeyFlipper]

They vaguely resemble prehistoric trilobites. Very cool. Definitely needs to be protected

[theck]

Thank you for this important information. We need a synthetic solution to save these creatures. We have to stop killing everything.

[愛莎-lw]

So Beautiful So Peaceful
Nature like Heaven
Protect Nature
The Relationship with the Nature

[pacluv]

I remember as a young child when I would go to the beach, I would see horseshoe crabs along the shore. I was always afraid of them (especially that long tail I was afraid that it would stick me). I always tried to stay away from them because they scared me to death. I’m glad that I saw this story because as an adult, I’m still afraid of horseshoe crabs. But I feel a little better now that I understand them a little bit more. 🦀🦀🦀🦀

[ronlee]

I was born in Miami and lived there for 56 years. I have been a diver all of my life. Horseshoe crabs were prolific in Florida from the time I started diving in the 1970s. Now they are gone. Absolutely horrifying as the marine environment in Florida is absolutely devastated.

[waltwenzel]

When will humans understand that there are consequences to our actions? When will we understand that we can't/shouldn't take all that we can?

[richardthiele]

I remember the horseshoe crabs when I went to the Jersey shore as a child. I didn’t realize how valuable they are, just thought how funny they look.

[yawenliu]

I used to live in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, a meet up group took me to spot some horseshoe crabs several years ago

[zapfanzapfan]

"I was abducted by land living two legged aliens, experimented on, they drew my blood and then they put me back on the beach"

- Horseshoe Crab trying to convince his friends later -

[jamesbuisf]

We are like vampires 🧛 to these horseshoe crabs 😁

[ThePinoyAggie]

That's pretty cool and clever, Re-Turn the Favor! Thank you, horseshoe crabs!

[rrfirefly]

Human beings are notorious opportunists who will consume every natural resource available, regardless of the damage done to an ecosystem. It is necessary to protect the horseshoe crabs from the ignorant practices that have threatened their continued existence. This is the sad state of the world, folks.

[MyChannel-olzz]

Never underestimate how many natural resources humans will exploit

[partsunknown]

The funny thing about people saying we need to leave them alone is those same people would be complaining about toxins in their medicine and vaccines; people also will complain about something being harvested from nature but then be in an uproar over something being made synthetically; which is it? Save the animals and plants by not using them or save them by using synthetically made products? Nobody knows the answer

[mrivas]

I miss seeing them, grew up on Staten Island, NY, they were all over our eastern beaches.

[DavidK-rw]

I've grown up around horseshoe crabs and I've always thought they were leftovers from the dinosaurs! They're awesome creatures, even if they do stink like hell!!

[yvonneplant]

Eli Lilly was a graduate of the College of Pharmacy and Science in Philadelphia.. It became the University of the Sciences. The latter is now part of St Joe's University.