香港馬蹄蟹的數量正急速下跌，面臨在香港絕種的危機。2009年，香港城市大學的研究員，在全港中學推行首個青少年飼養馬蹄蟹的計劃，增強大眾對馬蹄蟹保育工作的認識。參與計劃的學生飼養馬蹄蟹，記錄其成長過程，最終將長大的馬蹄蟹放回大海，藉以了解海洋生態。馬蹄蟹已有四億五千萬年歷史，故可視之為「活化石」。水族館旁的圖畫有一鱟(馬蹄蟹的學名)，出自清代聶璜的〈海錯圖〉(1.9)。
Horseshoe crabs in Hong Kong are facing a rapid population decline and local extinction risk. In 2009, City University of Hong Kong researchers launched the first juvenile horseshoe crab rearing program for all local secondary schools, to enhance public awareness of conservation efforts to protect the crabs. Students participating in the program learn how to better understand marine ecology by raising horseshoe crabs, recording and monitoring their growth and finally releasing them into the wild. Because of their origin 450 million years ago, horseshoe crabs are considered living fossils. The illustration of a horseshoe crab adjacent to this aquarium comes from the Illustrated Album of Sea Miscellany, Nie Huang, Qing dynasty (1.9).
