Annual Late Spring Horseshoe Crab Orgy on Long Point Painting by Jonathan Morrill

Annual Late Spring Horseshoe Crab Orgy on Long Point

by Jonathan Morrill

Canvas Print

$38

Framed Print

$64

Art Print

$13

Poster

$13

Metal Print

$62

Acrylic Print

$70

Wood Print

$41

Tapestry

$39

Throw Pillow

$25

Fleece Blanket

$48

Duvet Cover

$97

Shower Curtain

$68

Bath Towel

$34

Ornament

$9.50

Tote Bag

$24

Weekender Tote Bag

$43

Zip Pouch

$24

Portable Battery Charger

$46

Yoga Mat

$60

Greeting Card

$4.45

Spiral Notebook

$15

iPhone Case

$27

Beach Towel

$34

Round Beach Towel

$70

Weekender Tote Bag

$43

Coffee Mug

$14

Men's Clothing

$26

Women's Clothing

$26

Youth Clothing

$22

Toddler Clothing

$20

Baby Clothing

$24

Original - Sold

Price

$300

Dimensions

20.000 x 16.000 x 0.050 inches

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Title

Annual Late Spring Horseshoe Crab Orgy on Long Point

Artist

Jonathan Morrill

Medium

Painting - Acrylic On Canvas

Description

This acrylic painting depicts Mother Nature's annual Long Point orgy of
Horseshoe Crabs on Long Point, in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus)
are an integral part of the marine ecosystem and significant natural resource
in many coastal national park units.

As a member of the benthic community, they prey on small benthic fauna,
such as bivalves and worms.
They are preyed upon by sharks, as well as the federally listed loggerhead sea turtle.

Horseshoe crab eggs provide a critical food resource for migrating shorebirds (i.e. red knot) which stop along the Atlantic coastline.

You are likely to see an abundance of horseshoe crabs
during their peak spawning season in May and June.
Females begin to come ashore to spawn along protected sandy beaches
during evening high tides during the full and new moons.
Males (1/3 the size of females) attach themselves to females
as they approach spawning beaches with a pair of modified claws
that look like boxing gloves.
You may see more than one male crowding a pair forming a large cluster
along the water’s edge.
Fertilization of the eggs is external and eggs are laid in nests that are dug
in the sand by the female.
Females may nest several times in one tidal cycle.

Spawning sites within the Cape Cod National Seashore include Pleasant Bay,
Nauset Marsh, Great Island, and in recent years, East Harbor.

Horseshoe crabs are commercially harvested for bait for American eel and whelk fisheries, and their blood is used to produce a critical pharmaceutical product,
Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL).
LAL is the pharmacological standard used to detect fever-causing bacteria
in all injectable drugs (i.e vaccines) and implantable medical devices.
Throughout their range, managers are concerned about declines in spawning abundance, possible over-exploitation and unsustainable harvest of horseshoe crabs.
In Massachusetts, these concerns have led to stricter fishery regulations
and even closures of certain areas to harvest. Harvesting horseshoe crabs
within the Cape Cod National Seashore boundary is prohibited.

Cape Cod National Seashore is currently participating in the Cooperative Tagging Program through the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
CACO Natural Resource Management staff,
the help of the Cape Cod Horseshoe Crab Conservation Association,
are actively tagging adult horseshoe crabs within the East Harbor system in North Truro. Tag and recapture data provides more information about horseshoe crab movement
and abundance which is crucial for making effective management decisions.