MATOS - Mid-Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System

Project Title: Wildlife Restoration Partnerships - Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Acoustic Telemetry Project

MATOS Project Code: WRPDBHSC

Data Type: Tracker

Project Duration: June 2024 - June 2025

Project Description: The objective of the project is to track horseshoe crab movement patterns in the Delaware Bay using acoustic telemetry transmitters. The study of the movement of horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay on their migratory routes to and from their spawning beaches can provide insights into the migratory ecology of horseshoe crabs to better understand areas of the Bay important to their survival. The movement patterns of horseshoe crabs will also help emergency response in the threat of an oil spill. The study of horseshoe crab movements on the continental shelf will also help agencies better access the threat of bycatch by clam, scallop, and oyster dredges used frequently in the Bay and the shelf. It will also help evaluate the impact of bycatch by bottom trawl nets for finfish, including groundfish and forage fish.

Objectives:

Track movement
Learn migratory patterns

Principal Investigator:	Susan Linder (Wildlife Restoration Partnerships)
Email:	susanlinder1@aol.com

Point of Contact:	Susan Linder
Email:	susanlinder1@aol.com

Participating Organizations:

New Jersey Audubon
Wildlife Restoration Partnerships

WRP Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crabs