Lecture Archive: Mark Botton

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Posted: January 14, 2015

Lecture date: January 8, 2015. Mark Botton discussed horseshoe crab conservation and the role these animals play in human health care.

For the past two decades Mark Botton has been actively involved in the international efforts to protect and conserve horseshoe crabs. He is the co-chairman of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Horseshoe Crab Specialist Group and a professor of biology in the Department of Natural Sciences at Fordham University in New York City. He has studied the biology and ecology of horseshoe crabs since 1977.

Horseshoe crabs play a critical role in human health care. Their blood is collected from live horseshoe crabs, which are then released back into their wild habitat. It is then used to test all injections, such as vaccinations and intravenous drugs, for bacterial contamination.

Video Posted: January 14, 2015 | Running time: 41:07

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