Background Information on the Purpose of the Project

Sign in Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Horseshoe crab harvesting has become a common practice to collect the valuable blue blood and also to use as bait for other marine life. The animals are also threatened by habitat destruction caused by climate change. As a result, the population of Limulus polyphemus is declining and quickly becoming a threatened species. With hopes of helping the species thrive, my team along with two other teams has taken on the challenge of creating a simulated habitat for the horseshoe crab. We took this opportunity to expand the population of this very important animal while also presenting the scientific community with the opportunity to study and hopefully better understand the species.

Banking Blue Blood

Production of LAL

Stranded Horseshoe Crabs

Dead Horseshoe Crab in Myrtle Beach

The horseshoe crab is a vital part of the world economy and plays an important role in the medical field as well as in the scientific community. If the population of horseshoe crabs continues to decline, the effects will be felt by everyone including other species of animals. The species is extremely important in the medical community for the special properties of the blue blood the animals produce. Groups like the American Littoral Society and the ERDG are working toward educating the public about the horseshoe crab and also have started programs and campaigns, which highlight horseshoe crab conservation. These groups as well as interested scientists may take the design of our system and apply the design to their needs, whether that is for research or to aid in raising horseshoe crabs to supplement the natural population.

The loggerhead sea turtle has suffered
from reduced numbers of horseshoe crabs

Horseshoe crabs may help with
the development of antibiotics

The red knot bird relies on
the horseshoe crab for food

The horseshoe crab is an ancient
species beginning to die

Just Flip 'Em Program Art Contest Winner

This is a species that has been on Earth for a lot longer than humans have been. Since humans arrived and started changing the ecology of the Earth, habitats and weather patterns are changing and the horseshoe crab cannot keep up. Between over harvesting and habitat loss, their numbers are dwindling and once they are gone they can never come back. Without the horseshoe crab the medical field will lose out on numerous breakthroughs, which could result in furthering the study of horseshoe crabs. If this project works as intended, the scientific community will better understand a species which at the moment is somewhat of an enigma to humans. 

The number of horseshoe crabs is declining

Horseshoe Crab eggs are
very small and vulnerable

Loss of habitat and breeding grounds
threaten the horseshoe crab

Even naturally, horseshoe crabs
find themselves in odd situations

The time has come for the horseshoe crabs to fight back

Overall in this project I hope to provide the scientific and engineering community with the best possible way to go about raising young horseshoe crabs. More than just the marine world will benefit from this project and many people will be effected during the process of creating, finalizing, and utilizing this tank. 




At one year old the horseshoe crab
is about the size of a quarter

In a proper environment, young
horseshoe crabs can thrive

Maintaining a professional mindset is important

Current laboratory tanks

The natural habitat of the horseshoe crab will be mimicked

My team is taking this project seriously and we hope to convey that into our design. The design needs to be sterile for a lab and highly functional and efficient. Wasted space or time is unacceptable and may eventually be harmful to the study. Function comes first in our project, and though I want to make the tank aesthetically pleasing, the project will not fail because of appearance. The tank will end up being very similar to a fish tank, though altered to fit the needs of the specific species of invertebrate while also working to please the needs of those who will use the tank to study the species. This tank will mainly be a combination of technologies already created for other uses and will combine to best recreate the habitat of the horseshoe crab. Many of the pieces which will be incorporated into the design can be found in an average fish tank, though we will be altering some and connecting them to perform functions, which will mimic nature.