Originally published in Community News, December 5, 2013
Registration still open for Green Crab Summit
A bucked of green crabs, collected here during a joint research effort by Penobscot East Resource Center and Marine Environmental Research Institute in November. Green crabs are an invasive species and the topic of a statewide “Green Crab Summit” to be held at the University of Maine on December 16.
by Jessica Brophy
Green crabs have been in Maine waters for decades, but their numbers have seen a marked increase over the past few years.
During September, traps were modified and put into the water for 24 hours in harbors and spots across the coast. Green crabs caught were then counted and recorded.
The results of the survey will be announced at the Maine Green Crab Summit on Monday, December 16, at the University of Maine Orono. The purpose of the summit is to exchange information about green crabs and their impact on the marine ecosystem, as well as potential ways to manage the population.
The goal, according to Maine Sea Grant Director Paul Anderson, is to “compare what we know and look at our options moving forward.” The summit will include case studies of efforts in Maritime Canada to control the crab population, as well as showcase research conducted here in Maine on curbing the crab population.
The crab summit is free to the public. Registration is open until December 9. Visit seagrant.umaine.edu/green-crab-summit to register.