Living fossil gets a helping hand
To remediate mass horseshoe crab casualties caused by strandings, MCBP organized and trained a group of volunteers for the 2022 spawning season to help rescue stranded horseshoe crabs. The Stranded Spawning Horseshoe Crab Recovery Team consisted of 11 volunteers who went out 67 times to rescue horseshoe crabs between mid-May and late July at three sites in the Coastal Bays during low tides. In total, an estimated 3,568 stranded horseshoe crabs were rescued, making this a successful year for the program! MCBP hopes to grow this program in the future to continue protecting an important species that visits the beautiful Coastal Bays each summer.
Capturing stories on the Coastal Bays waterfront
“Voices of the Coastal Bays” is a fisheries heritage project. With grant funding provided by the Beach to Bay Heritage Area, this project highlights Ocean City’s rich commercial fishing history, showcasing stories and pictures of fishing families operating out of the Ocean City Fisherman’s Marina. “Voices” has renewed an appreciation for both the commercial fishing industry and the people who work to keep it alive. It also created a virtual timeline of the West Ocean City Harbor, interviewed local fishermen and women on their experiences and challenges, and developed a “Smart Seafood Guide” for Ocean City, which explains what seafood is in season and when.