Ellsworth American cites horseshoe crab research conducted by Wahle, student
Research conducted by Rick Wahle, a marine scientist at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center; and Andrew Goode, who earned a bachelor’s degree in marine sciences in 2016; was cited in an Ellsworth American article about horseshoe crabs. The “living fossils” have survived unchanged for eons, but lately their numbers have diminished, according to the article. While some horseshoe crab populations have declined, other populations in Maine seem to be thriving, the article states. During their research about the crabs in the Damariscotta River estuary, Wahle and Goode found a strong correlation between warm water, warm winters and increases in crab populations. While the most recent data available from Damariscotta, which are from 2014, shows a population dip, it is well within average parameters and is not perceived as drastic, the article states. “Additional research on the behavioral changes of horseshoe crabs in response to fluctuating temperature and salinity would be beneficial in understanding how and why horseshoe crab abundances fluctuate dramatically from year to year,” the researchers wrote.