Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by janrinok on Tuesday September 06 2016, @06:16PM   Printer-friendly
from the Juan-has-crabs dept.

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 and is working closely with University of Washington-based Washington Sea Grant to determine next steps for limiting further spread of the crab.

Until now, green crab populations in Washington have been limited to Pacific coastal estuaries. However, the 2012 discovery of invasive crabs in Canadian waters across the Strait of Juan de Fuca prompted the state's wildlife department to invest in Salish Sea monitoring and early detection.

This week's sighting was confirmed by green crab experts P. Sean McDonald of the UW and Sylvia Yamada of Oregon State University. A single, large, 3-inch adult male crab was captured during the Crab Team's regular monitoring activity. The agencies are coordinating a response to the sighting, working with scientists at the UW's Friday Harbor Laboratories.

"Although unexpected and unwelcome, this finding is a perfect example of how volunteers can spur positive environmental action, and it shows that the monitoring program is working as it was designed," said Jeff Adams, Washington Sea Grant marine ecologist and project manager.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by archfeld on Wednesday September 07 2016, @06:52PM

    by archfeld (4650) <treboreel@live.com> on Wednesday September 07 2016, @06:52PM (#398820) Journal

    They were probably related to the first person that ate an artichoke.

    --
    For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2