It may be a small bird but what a champion it is and we could learn so much from its physiology and enduring capabilities and learn to live in harmony with our environment instead of continuous exploitation. I hope this has a happy ending. Thank you for providing an invaluable video to provide education for our next generation.

Thank you for making and airing this film. I think it’s monstrous for us to bring such an ancient creature this close to extinction. For an animal that survived not just one massive extinction but two, and was thriving long before we came along, it’s a pitty that humans are worse than events that killed over 95% of life on Earth.

why doesn’t someone lab raise the horseshoe crab at least until it is two or three years old? and if they are going to catch the birds and put them through that much stress then why not feed them while they have them in their possession? Also, if they are going to catch a portion of the birds, study and then release them why don’t they keep the birds that are underweight and make sure that they don’t die on the trip up there?

Education would be the best, but when all interest are to continue to play GOD on the planet in every aspect of life, to rule via power and deceit it is ineveitable for man to destroy. As a Natural Resource major we can only count the days and months until Easter Island is once more. Education cotinually wants us to analyze history but we chose not to learn from it! Greed is always there to rape and pilfer, and at the same time we as humans look at only what can I do to fix it now. We chose not to look at what will fix the future, the basics of our needs to survive like our ancestors is food, shelter and water. Salinity is on the increase in farmlands, acidification, and global warming in increasing, etc…when do we stop and look at the overall picture that we do not have the right to play GOD….we are the stewards and we are not do a good job.

they talk about extinction on television..but this story really grabs you by the heart (as one from maryland). To much damage….to little time..

First of all, thank you for this wonderful series. I love you and PBS. I appreciate that you give the various sides of a situation, but though I understand the reason for our dependence on the Horshoe Crab it was disturbing to see how they were treated in the lab. They look to be piled one on top of the other in laundry baskets, dipped and sprayed in some solutions–probably to be sanitized–strapped over their eyes and inserted with large needles to be bled. The narrator stated 18% die, but could it be higher? Afterwards they’re piled together after they’ve contributed to our well being. Has anybody observed these procedures, to understand why they are dying and where–in the lab or when they are being sent back for release? Could a more ethical way be considered? If a sentient being can’t cry out in fear or pain we don’t seem to connect the dots. Isn’t that why scientists and environmentalists are sounding the alarm on behalf of those who can’t? I believe that we can.

This episode greatly upset me. Not only because of the loss of species, but because the writers perpetuated the same outlook as those who caused such devastation–that the horseshoe crab is useful to people, and therefore its okay to treat them as a commodity. Unlike the excellent Frogs episode, where conservation was for its own sake, conservation of the crabs was portrayed as a means to an end. The end of course being more medical use and more food for the birds (though of course conserving the birds was never justified in that way). One can only assume this narration was written in such a way because the horseshoe crab is perceived to be a creepy looking creature instead of cute. The positive spin on the bleeding of crabs made me sick to my stomach. Can you imagine if they tried that argument with the red knot birds?

I sincerely hope upcoming epsiodes don’t follow this disturbing trend, otherwise there is really no hope for conservation of unusual looking creatures.

Compelling episode – congratulations to the filmmakers and to all involved with conservation. As a wildlife photographer and lifelong birder and sailor, this was eye-opening even for me. I took horseshoe crabs and red knots for granted – they’ve been there in numbers all my life. As a teacher, I took the lesson I learned from this and passed it on to my students.
On a recent shoot in Florida, I found a banded bird at the Atlantic shore and immediately reported it to the Delaware/NJ people. I always report banded birds no matter where in the world I am, but it took on a new urgency after this episode.
Wonderful, wonderful job.
Kudos to all!

Hi from Oregon. Recently (within the past 8 years) the largest salmon fishkill in recorded human history took place on the Klamath River just south of the Oregon/California border. This was directly due to actions taken by the residents of Klamath Falls (a city) and environs when they took action (with the assistance of the Bush II administration) which resulted in an extremely low river flow downstream. This single act decimated a population of fish which had been feeding tribes along the river for centuries, possibly several millennium. The Klamath Falls farmer’s response to the outcry which I remember most vividly: “who cares, it’s just one fish”. This was said directly to the face of a Native American whose livelihood had been destroyed.

There is every likelihood that dead zones off the coast of Oregon are due to the runoff of nitrogen from agricultural practices which are still common within the state. Again, we are hearing “it’s just some fish, who cares” from those who are the most likely cause.

I used to live in Klamath Falls. I have also lived in the Willamette Valley region – another agricultural stronghold in Oregon and the region most likely to be causing the dead zones – for much of my life. I don’t think that nuclear war or any war will solve the problem as typically war renders the environment unlivable for anything, not just humans. War is a sum of arrogance and willfull stupidity, not a resolution thereunto. Instead, entreat the arrogant, talk to them, pursue their arguments to the logical end. One may not have the answers, but one can certainly elucidate the questions. Call your politicians and THREATEN them with being fired at the next round of elections, then work to follow through on the threat if they fail to follow through on protecting our only home. We should consider slowing this nation down a bit; we over-consume, over-produce, seek constant economic growth and demand that our trading partners follow in lockstep with our consumptive ways. In the last 40 years we have evolved our nation into one where the vast majority of households with children have to be dual earner households just to stay afloat above the poverty line; just to feed, clothe and house our children.

Understand that family farmers in the Willamette Valley and the Klamath Falls are “feeling the pinch” of the economy just like most of us are. The difference is that they always feel the pinch because farming has always been a hit or miss proposition, so they feel compelled to do whatever is necessary to protect their livelihood. Perhaps if we were to try to live by the axiom that “less is more” we might be able to survive until the next century, though I am not hopeful frankly. Less is more… Less is more… Less is more… Oh, and cotton is a terrible choice for textiles, it leaches the soil and demands more fertilization than any other crop – fiber grade hemp is a far better choice as it lasts longer, requires no fertilization in most agricultural regions and is proved to actually return nitrogen to and fix carbon in the soil. Less is more… Grow hemp for industry… Be a patriot and work for the future of your country, not the now of your wants. Pardon me, I have to go now, Zarathustra calls…

What sad is that everyone hates on humans for destroying environments. Yes we have done some unjust things to our planet, more or else associated corporate doings. Most humans show more than enough consideration to our fair planet. As in all life, we as humans are also beautiful creatures and wonderful beings to behold. So dont mock us for surviving in a world that has no laws or rules on lifes path. Just to survive in it is great enough. We can nurture the environments of life much better when the corporations are gone.

[...] you’re interested in learning more, here’s a great PBS film: "Crash: A Tale of Two Species" Oh, and if you ever find yourself walking on a beach and happen upon a horseshoe crab upside [...]

i enjoyed this film very much, very educational…didnt realize the horseshoe crab played such a huge role to humans. If only everyone knew our plant really does survive on such a delicate line and once undone can be catisrophic for all specices … sorry for the spelling eyesight is blurry

this really proves how delcate the ecosystem is