Far from the medical labs and test tubes, a fisherman in old rubber boots walks across the docks of West Ocean City to inspect his catch.
He peers in a crate of spiny tails and grasping claws, hundreds of a common yet precious creature, among the oldest species on Earth: horseshoe crabs.
The scene on the docks is a glimpse into a strange and guarded Maryland fishery, one supporting a multimillion-dollar industry as surprising as the catch itself — a seemingly alien creature with 10 eyes, 12 legs and magical, milky blue blood.
It’s the blood that everyone’s after. About three tablespoons extracted from a live, wild horseshoe crab is refined and used to detect toxins in everyday medical products: saline drips, flu shots, heart stents. The crab blood has been the worldwide testing-standard for decades, saving countless lives from infection by screening everything from insulin shots to breast implants.
And now the coronavirus vaccine.
How the coronavirus vaccine relies on Maryland’s strangest fishery: horseshoe crabs - Baltimore Sun
Very cool.
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