The European green crab invades Washington State inland waters.
Earlier this week in Westcott Bay, San Juan Island, a team of volunteer monitors caught an invasive green crab
, marking the first confirmation of this global invader in Washington’s inland waters. The volunteers are part of Washington Sea Grant’s Crab Team, an early detection and monitoring program to look for European green crab (Carcinus maenas) and collect information on local marine life. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is responsible for controlling aquatic invasive animals. European green crab have been stowaways on ships bound for U.S. ports since the 1800s, establishing populations, eating local clams and other shellfish and causing serious impacts. In Maine, for example, softshell clam harvests declined dramatically when the crab became established and eelgrass beds have been damaged by the invader’s digging habits. Read the story here 12:25
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