2026 Massachusetts Horseshoe Crab Science Meeting

DMF is hosting a Horseshoe Crab Science Meeting on Friday, March 20 at 9:00 AM at 836 South Rodney French Blvd, SMAST East Building, Rooms 101-103 in New Bedford, MA. There will also be a remote option. 

Presentations will be made on the status of Massachusetts horseshoe crab populations and commercial fisheries data.  Other presentations will cover the population status and fishery monitoring of crabs in New York state, and shorebird and horseshoe crab research on Monomoy Island.  

Due to space limitations, we ask those that want to attend in person to RSVP to DMF.horseshoecrab@mass.gov.  

Join remotely at this Zoom link. 

Meeting ID: 950 1984 5478

Passcode: 622376

Agenda

• 9:00 AM - Introduction (T. Pugh, MA Division of Marine Fisheries)
• 9:05 AM - Massachusetts Horseshoe Crab Survey Trends and Commercial Fishery Monitoring (D. Perry and L. Tomlinson MA Division of Marine Fisheries)
• 10:15 AM - Horseshoe Crab Management & Monitoring in New York State (J. Lander, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Marine Resources)
• 10:40 AM - Break
• 10:45 AM - Manomet Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Research (L. DiNunzio, Manomet Conservation Sciences)
• 11:15 AM - Summary and future DMF HSC activities (D. Perry and T. Pugh, MA Division of Marine Fisheries)
• 11:45 AM - Adjourn

Presentations 

Massachusetts Horseshoe Crab Survey Trends and Commercial Fishery Monitoring      

Derek Perry is the lead state crab biologist.  He is a senior biologist with over 20 years of experience with the Division of Marine Fisheries.  Derek is the Massachusetts representative on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Horseshoe Crab Technical Committee and ASMFC Horseshoe Crab Stock Assessment Committee.  On these committees, he is a part of a coastwide team of horseshoe crab biologists and statisticians that provide scientific advice to fishery managers and evaluate coastwide data sources to assess the health of coastwide horseshoe crab populations. Derek has a master’s degree in Marine Science from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.

Laura Tomlinson is the assistant state crab biologist. She began working with the Division of Marine Fisheries' Invertebrate Program in spring of 2023 after graduating from the University of Maine with her Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology. Laura coordinates and oversees the Massachusetts horseshoe crab spawning survey and is the primary field biologist for the horseshoe crab industry sampling that the Division conducts.

Horseshoe Crab Management & Monitoring in New York State

Jennifer Lander is a Marine Biologist I with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Marine Resources, based on Long Island. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from the University of Rhode Island in 2017 and a master’s degree in Marine Conservation and Policy from Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences in 2025. Before joining DEC in 2022, Jennifer worked with the National Park Service and several environmental organizations on coastal and marine conservation projects. At DEC, she manages New York’s Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey and coordinates monitoring and fisheries management efforts for species including horseshoe crabs, blue crabs, and whelks.

Investigating the connection between shorebirds and horseshoe crabs on Cape Cod

Liana DiNunzio is a Shorebird Biologist for Manomet Conservation Sciences. Her work focuses on improving our understanding of how shorebirds use the Massachusetts coast during migration in order to guide conservation efforts. She is currently researching the migration ecology of Ruddy Turnstones and Whimbrel while they are stopped over on Cape Cod, and she also leads a statewide shorebird migration survey, the Massachusetts Shorebird Blitz. She holds a master’s degree in environmental science and management from the University of Rhode Island.  

Moderator

Dr. Tracy Pugh leads the Invertebrate Fisheries Program at MA Division of Marine Fisheries, encompassing lobster, crabs, horseshoe crabs, shrimp, and whelk, and serves as the state’s lead lobster biologist. She serves on the ASMFC American Lobster Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Sub-committee, currently acting as Chair for both. She started with MAMDF in 2002 after completing a Master’s degree with Boston University’s Marine Program. She has a Ph.D. from University of New Hampshire. Tracy’s expertise includes population monitoring, survey design, and reproductive behavior and ecology.