00:00this is a horseshoe crab a creature which is considered a living fossil as it's remained
00:08relatively unevolved for at least 445 million years for anyone doing the math that's before
00:15the dinosaurs even existed however the world is changing at an unprecedented rate leaving
00:20this prehistoric relic near threatened and on the verge of extinction which is why researchers in
00:25hong kong are now doing this attaching tracking systems to juvenile horseshoe crabs all in the
00:30hopes of stopping their disappearance the researchers say their lifestyle behaviors are
00:35relatively poorly understood but these trackers should give conservationists a better understanding
00:39of the creatures from infancy to adulthood adding that by tracking their environment throughout
00:44their entire life they hope to uncover previously unknown aspects of their ecology this includes
00:49their habits and behavioral patterns as well as the effects of the seasons and other environmental
00:54factors on their life cycle as global warming continues conservationists warn that the
00:58horseshoe crabs habitats could disappear as beaches where they spend much of their time could end up
01:03underwater experts estimate there are only around 10 000 of these ancient crabs still scurrying around
01:09our planet's oceans
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