Here’s Why Conservationists Are Attaching Trackers to Horseshoe Crabs in Hong Kong
Horseshoe crabs are considered “living fossils”, as they have remained relatively unevolved for at least 445 million years. However, the world is changing at an unprecedented rate, leaving this prehistoric relic near threatened and on the verge of extinction.
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00:04 This is a horseshoe crab, a creature which is considered a living fossil,
00:08 as it's remained relatively unevolved for at least 445 million years.
00:13 For anyone doing the math, that's before the dinosaurs even existed.
00:17 However, the world is changing at an unprecedented rate,
00:20 leaving this prehistoric relic near threatened and on the verge of extinction,
00:24 which is why researchers in Hong Kong are now doing this,
00:27 attaching tracking systems to juvenile horseshoe crabs,
00:30 all in the hopes of stopping their disappearance.
00:32 The researchers say their lifestyle behaviors are relatively poorly understood,
00:36 but these trackers should give conservationists a better understanding
00:39 of the creatures from infancy to adulthood,
00:42 adding that by tracking their environment throughout their entire life,
00:45 they hope to uncover previously unknown aspects of their ecology.
00:48 This includes their habits and behavioral patterns,
00:51 as well as the effects of the seasons and other environmental factors on their life cycle.
00:55 As global warming continues, conservationists warn that the horseshoe crab's habitats could disappear,
01:00 as beaches where they spend much of their time could end up underwater.
01:03 Experts estimate there are only around 10,000 of these ancient crabs
01:07 still scurrying around our planet's oceans.
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