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.
