Hey all,
It's Sid once again. This week my group started Fishing 101 at the Boston Children's Museum (Tuesday-Thursday 10-4), as well as visiting the Atlantic Wharf on Monday and North End on Friday. Along with catching the usual European green crabs, we also caught a spider crab, a cunner (type of fish), and a type of ciona (sea slug). We were able to educate people about the history of the green crabs under our tent, which was located near the entrance of the Boston Children's Museum. Lots of people wanted to hold the crabs, and we were able to tell them about the history of the harbor as well.
The main reason the European green crab has and will be a staple in blogs is due to how invasive it has become. They were originally brought by European ships, in the ballast water of the ships. Ballast water is used for buoyancy in ships, and is usually just ocean water brought into the ship. Then, when the ships would dock in the harbor, the ballast water would be emptied, and with it all the organisms that were taken in. People discovered that these crabs were devastating shellfish populations, and would ruin marine ecosystems and food webs.
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| Apparently technology to regulate the water has been advancing |
There have already been some measures put in place to reduce the spread of these crabs. One of the most important things is to quickly respond to sighting of larvae, and Washington State has already put a number a prevention measures in place. Movement of shellfish, fisheries, mariculture products, etc. are all managed by the State, to prevent invasive species and diseases from being too large of a threat. By following these regulations, anyone can help prevent the spread of invasive species.
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| We caught some green crabs, a large spider crab, and a cunner, all on Wednesday |
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| Some more info about the European Green Crab |
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