In the spring of 2026 Florida Sea Grant trained 37 residents from Escambia and Santa Rosa County to survey for nesting horseshoe crabs in the Pensacola Bay area. Of those 21 (57%) participated in at least one survey. Additional reports came from 9 individuals who were not part of the team but knew about the project and provided reports. The objective of this project is to survey beaches that horseshoe crabs have been seen and identify nesting activity. Horseshoe crabs will nest along the shore during the spring high tides of both the spring and the fall. Our volunteers surveyed those beaches during those times.
Photo: Florida Sea Grant
The larger female horseshoe crabs will approach the beach to dig a depression and deposit her eggs. Often the smaller male will use a modified claw to hold to the female and ride her back to shore. Additional small males, known as satellites, will follow the pair and attempt to fertilize the eggs. Horseshoe crabs usually nest in large numbers near the same location and at the same time. Whether nesting is observed or not, our volunteers will record the number of horseshoe crabs seen in the area. Like all arthropods, horseshoe crabs will molt their external shell to grow a new one as they grow. The number of molts found are also recorded.
In addition to the data sheets completed by our volunteers, other residents aware of the project will also contact us with sightings. Below is the 2026 report for the spring nesting season.
| Location | # of surveys | # of molts or dead crabs | # males | # females | # pairs | # pairs with satellites |
| Baby Beach | 21 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Bayou Grande | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Big Lagoon | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Big Lagoon State Park | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Big Sabine | 17 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Ft. Pickens | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hickory Shores
East Bay |
1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnson’s Beach | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Little Sabine | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Morgan Park | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Naval Live Oak
North |
9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Naval Live Oak
South |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Opal Beach | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Park West | 131 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quietwater Beach | 71 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Redfish Pt.
Gulf Breeze |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Redfish Pt.
Big Lagoon |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sandpiper Pavilion | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp Point | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Shoreline Park | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tiger Point | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 94 | 19 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 2 |
1 sites where locals not part of the project made reports.
Overall
21 volunteers conducted 94 surveys.
Ft. Pickens and Big Sabine were surveyed the most (34 surveys – 36% of the surveys).
This was followed by Park West (14%), Naval Live Oaks North (10%), and Quietwater Beach (7%).
There were 45 horseshoe crab encounters (48% of the surveys).
19 of these were dead animals, or their molts (42%).
13 encounters were either an individual male or female (29%)
11 encountered male/female pairs (24%).
2 encountered male/female pairs with additional male satellites (4%).
The only nesting event encountered was on March 14 at Baby Beach on Pensacola Beach. This was a single breeding pair.
THIS WAS THE FIRST RECORD OF NESTING SINCE WE BEGAN THESE SURVEYS IN 2019.
We will provide the fall survey results, and the annual report, in December. If you have any questions concerning this project, or horseshoe crabs in general, contact Rick O’Connor at roc1@ufl.edu.
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