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Crabs A Red Kayak Project. By Griff Lehnert With tech assistance from Jordan Lehnert who is proud of the background pictures!. The Animal. Callinectes (“beautiful swimmer”) sapidus (“savory”) Gray-Blue in color. Claws are blue. Female claws are tipped with red.
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CrabsA Red Kayak Project By Griff Lehnert With tech assistance from Jordan Lehnert who is proud of the background pictures!
The Animal • Callinectes (“beautiful swimmer”) sapidus (“savory”) • Gray-Blue in color. Claws are blue. Female claws are tipped with red. • Males have a “T”shaped abdomen, known as the apron. Females have a triangle shaped apron. • Grow by molting their old shell and growing a new one.
Diet • Adult Crabs feed on crustaceans, fish, worms and nearly anything they can find. • The blue crab’s favorite food is a thin shelled bivalve mollusk. • Adult crabs will often resort to cannibalism of juvenile crabs.
Crabbing Economy • For the past 60 years, blue crabs have been the main catch for Chesapeake Bay fisheries. • Crabs are the most valuable catch for fisheries. The blue crab harvest for 2000 is estimated at $55 million. • Approximately one-third of the nation’s blue crabs are caught in the Chesapeake.
Crabbing Regulations • Harvesting Females is Prohibited • Season: April 1- December 15 • Minimum Size
Equipment: required by regulations • Crab traps or pots • Dipnets • Trotting Lines
Catch Limits • In an effort to bring back the blue crab, the Departments of Natural Resources of MD and VA limits the catch of commercial and noncommercial fishermen, depending on licensed crabbers on board. • For more information, see the Maryland DNR website at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/regulations
Environmental Issues • Due to over-fishing, pollution and destruction of habitat, the blue crab population i the Chesapeake Bay is rapidly decreasing. • The increase in population of predatory fish such as the striped bass and Atlantic croaker who prey on juvenile crabs
Effect of Bay Damage and Over-fishing Crabs • Blue crab populations have fallen nearly 70% since 1990. • In 1990, there were an estimated 791 million crabs in the Chesapeake. By 2000, the estimate was down to 281 million. • By 2009, thanks to restrictions in harvesting, the blue crab population was 393 million.
Bibliography: Information • http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/regulations • http://www.bluecrab.info/ • http://www.chesapeakebay.net/blue_crab.htm • http://web.vims.edu/adv/ed/crab/?svr=www • http://www.aqua.org/animals_bluecrab.html
Bibliography:Pictures • http://www.fishingnj.org/procrab.htm • http://www.sms.si.edu/irlfieldguide/CrabBiol.htm • http://www.serc.si.edu/education/resources/bluecrab/lifecycle.aspx • http://beauforttribune.com/archives/8737 • http://funbeach.com/activities/crabbing/ • http://www.marshbunny.com/stjohns/trotline/trotline.html • http://www.crabbingtips.com/ • http://www.paulmcgeheeart.com/pages/ChesapeakeBayCrabBoat.htm • http://www.fegi.ru/prim/sea/mol_dvu.htm • fishingnj.org • http://asm.news21.com/bundle/chesapeake/budget/31/ • http://alansmoneyblog.com/2010/03/10/the-most-prosperous-nations-on-earth/