UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant will host a coastal excursion to witness horseshoe crabs congregating on Georgia’s beaches.

The May 16 event will transport participants by skiff from the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island to Cabbage Island to observe horseshoe crab mating behavior, look for horseshoe crab eggs, document nesting areas and measure horseshoe crabs alongside Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant educators.

Participants also will witness shorebirds that flock to the area each spring and summer to consume the horseshoe crab eggs to fuel their journey between South America and the Arctic regions.

Spotting scopes and binoculars will be available and educators will teach participants how to spot banded birds and record information about the placement of the band as well as the band type, color and code. All the banding data will be submitted to appropriate shorebird re-sighting databases. The data are used around the world by researchers and conservationists, who study populations and migratory patterns of different shorebird species.

The Horseshoe Crab Encounters program is $22. To register for the program, contact Kayla Clark at (912) 598-3345 or kayla270@uga.edu by May 9. Children age 10 and above are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult.

More information is available here https://gacoast.uga.edu/events/