Tag Archives: the snow crab collapse
The Snow Crab Collapse: A Tale of Unproven Assumptions and Overlooked Explanations
The sudden decline in the snow crab population in the Bering Sea has triggered considerable concern among scientists, fisheries, and environmentalists alike. The collapse is alarming not only because of its immediate economic impact but also due to the broader implications for marine ecosystems. However, a critical examination of the prevailing explanations for this phenomenon reveals a troubling reliance on speculation rather than solid evidence. The central thesis of the NOAA Fisheries report—that warmer water temperatures increased snow crab metabolism, leading to their downfall—requires a more skeptical analysis. In this post, we’ll explore the weaknesses of this hypothesis, examine other plausible causes, and argue for a more comprehensive approach to understanding this ecological mystery. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:27
Fisheries in Focus: How the mystery of the great eastern Bering Sea snow crab die-off was solved
A 2018 National Marine Fisheries Service survey estimated the eastern Bering Sea snow crabs population at 11 billion crabs, the highest amount ever recorded. Three years later, the population crashed by more than 90 percent, closing the fishery for the first time in its history (it remains closed). Where did all the snow crab go? What caused their disappearance? Did they move elsewhere? Did they die? Alaska fishery management is regarded as the best in the world – was this management error? Two years ago, we published an interview with Cody Szuwalski, a researcher at NOAA and lead investigator on the snow crab collapse, speculating on what happened. Now, we have answers: A team of scientists seemed to have solved the mystery this fall with a paper published in Science, Szuwalski et al. 2023. They concluded that the crabs died from a warm water anomaly that sped up their metabolisms. In short, there wasn’t enough food to go around – they starved. more, >>click to read<< 06:05
