MAINE PUBLIC • January 5, 2026
The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the federal government for failing to protect American horseshoe crabs under the Endangered Species Act. Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center, says since 2000, horseshoe crab populations have crashed by more than 70% across their range from Maine to Louisiana. "And the main reason their numbers have crashed is because of overharvest," Harlan said. "They've been decimated by both the bait and most recently, the blood harvest. That's when horseshoe crabs are taken and drained of their blood because that blood is useful in drug safety testing." The state of Maine considers the species at-risk due to development, wastewater effluent, and both unintentional catch and small scale harvesting. While their numbers have historically been relatively small in the state, Harlan said that's changing due to climate change.