The Chesapeake’s iconic blue crabs have shown steady improvement since a low point in 2014. The 2020 Winter Dredge Survey conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources showed decreasing numbers of all three major biological indicators of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay—total juveniles, total number of crabs, and the abundance of spawning age females. The total number of crabs was estimated at 405 million. Although the blue crab numbers in the Bay are down from 2019, overall they continue to remain well above the numbers seen in the late 1990s and mid-2000s that raised such concern. This year’s results indicate that the blue crab fisheries management changes adopted in 2008, which continue to guide decisions, have again resulted in a more abundant and stable trend for the Bay’s blue crab population.
Stability for the Bay's blue crab population has been limited by degraded habitat, in particular underwater grass bed coverage, which is fortunately showing signs of improvement. Blue crabs need grass beds for nursery areas and protection from predators. New management approaches also need to be explored. Despite the good news, the crab population has not reached its target level, a fact that emphasizes the need to stay the course with science-based limits. This iconic symbol of the Chesapeake is resilient, but our appetite for it—in all forms—demands caution and restraint lest we love it to death.
More About Blue Crabs
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Blue Crabs
The blue crab is one of the more resilient of Chesapeake species, but its fate depends on many factors.
Multimedia
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Blue Crabs: Claw and Order Webinar
07 May 2020 00:32:23CBF experts discuss the latest information about the Chesapeake's blue crabs.
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Photo of the Week: En Garde!
02 Jul 2018A blue crab prepares for battle in Northumberland County Virginia.
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Worth Repeating: Grasses = Crabs
22 May 2018 Episode 82 | 0:19:22In this episode, CBF President Will Baker sits down with longtime CBF staffer Bart Jaeger to talk about the relationship between underwater grasses and the Bay’s blue crab population.
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News
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Blue Crabs: How Are They Doing?
August 3, 2020
Blue crabs are known far and wide as a symbol of the Chesapeake Bay region. But how are they doing?
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Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Assessment Finds a Healthy Population
July 1, 2020
The latest assessment of the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population has determined that it is healthy, and no management changes are necessary.
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CBF Statement on Blue Crab Survey Results
May 20, 2020
This year’s survey showed slightly fewer blue crabs in the Bay than in the 2019 survey.
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