I found this horseshoe crab while I was harvesting bloodworms in the tidal mud flats here in Maine 🪱 #outdoors #viral #wild #nature #crab | Wayne Bishko

It’s International Horseshoe Crab Day!! Why are Horseshoe Crabs so important? •Medical uses: The blood of horseshoe crabs contains a critical component, Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate, known as LAL. This unique compound clots when exposed to bacteria or bacterial endotoxins. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration requires all drugs intended for human consumption to be tested using LAL. Some medical equipment and devices including items such as IV tubing are also tested with LAL. Currently, scientists ha