Horseshoe Crabs, Limulus polyphemus, are considered "living fossils" in that they have remained relatively unchanged for over 200 million years. They are essential in marine ecosystems in a multitude of ways. 

However, every year we take nearly half a million of them from the ocean and drain them of their blood for our pharmaceutical industry.  Horseshoe crab blood contains a substance called Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) that reacts with endotoxins, therefore, identifying contamination of drugs and vaccines.  While most are released back into the ocean after unwillingly "donating" their blood, many die after release due to the stress of the blood draining process.  This is severely diminishing their numbers and it is simply inhumane and cruel.  Especially since we have now made a synthetic version of LAL called recombinant Factor C (rFC).

Now, more than ever, this issue needs to be resolved as the world searches for a coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine and is continuing this blood draining procedure.  Now that there is a viable, cruelty-free alternative, there is no reason to continue the inhumane draining of these extraordinary animals' blood.  Please help keep these animals in the ocean where they belong!