Determining the relative importance of coastal habitat types to Horseshoe Crab reproduction and migratory shorebird foraging in South Carolina

The objectives of this report were: 1. Document the range of habitat types (e.g. sandy beach, shelly beach, marsh) used by spawning Horseshoe Crabs; 2. Identify significant Horseshoe Crab habitat by quantifying Horseshoe Crab egg development (and thus quality of habitat for Horseshoe Crabs) across each habitat type; 3. Spatially compare significant Horseshoe Crab spawning habitat with areas suitable for foraging shorebirds to quantify the proportion of Horseshoe Crab spawning habitats that are used by migratory shorebirds, representing a critical nexus of these species