The clock is ticking on beach restorations up and down New Jersey’s coast, but one noteworthy project is facing a deadline imposed by nature rather than tourism.

Horseshoe crabs begin breeding in late May, but many prime nesting sites on Delaware Bayshore beaches were destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. The top layer of soft sand was swept away by wind and storm surge, exposing hard rubble and mucky salt marsh remnants not suitable for digging holes and burying eggs.