Maryland's blue crabs reportedly invade Spanish waters

[jazz lady]

A delicacy of the Chesapeake has become the scourge of the Mediterranean.

In a matter of about seven years, the Chesapeake’s native blue crab has invaded and swiftly taken over the ecosystem of the Ebro Delta on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, the Guardian reported last week. If a newly-introduced species has no natural predators in its adopted ecosystem, it is capable of interrupting the food chain by eating up the native species that call the region home.

Maryland’s blue crabs reportedly invade Spanish waters

In a matter of about seven years, the Chesapeake’s native blue crab has invaded and swiftly taken over the ecosystem of the Ebro Delta on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, the Guardian reported last week.

www.baltimoresun.com

 

[limblips]

I shall petition the Spanish government to be the official crap picking instructor. My requirements are unlimited crabs for teaching purposes, room and board at a waterfront villa, a monthly stipend, and all of the paella I can eat.

 

[RoseRed]

I shall petition the Spanish government to be the official crap picking instructor. My requirements are unlimited crabs for teaching purposes, room and board at a waterfront villa, a monthly stipend, and all of the paella I can eat.

Don't forget the Old Bay!

 

[Monello]

Damn foreign invaders. Ruining everything for the locals. There goes the neighborhood.

 

[GWguy]

Blue claw crabs are shallow water bottom feeders. You never see them in deep water, at least, I never have and I've been diving in waters up and down the east coast, shallow, mid and deep.

My point is: how did they "migrate" across the bottom of the ocean? Too deep, too cold. The temps at the bottom of the ocean would make them sleep. Not likely they were bilge cargo. More likely, someone purposely dumped a load of them in Spanish waters and they bred.

 

[PrchJrkr]

Blue claw crabs are shallow water bottom feeders. You never see them in deep water, at least, I never have and I've been diving in waters up and down the east coast, shallow, mid and deep.

My point is: how did they "migrate" across the bottom of the ocean? Too deep, too cold. The temps at the bottom of the ocean would make them sleep. Not likely they were bilge cargo. More likely, someone purposely dumped a load of them in Spanish waters and they bred.

Ballast water in cargo ships transport all kinds of non-native species in their larval stage.

 

[GWguy]

Ballast water in cargo ships transport all kinds of non-native species in their larval stage.

This is true, but I thought crab larvae weren't very hardy, and would die en route.

Once, I thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken.

 

[Ken King]

Blue crabs have been found in European waters since as early as 1901. In our hemisphere they run from Maine to Argentina. Adaptive lil effers.

 

[Goldenhawk]

It puzzles me why this kind of thing is considered to be so horrible. The most adaptable, compatible life forms will always thrive in the right environment. And life is surprisingly capable at spreading itself around. It's a natural thing, even if mankind is responsible for moving a particular organism from place to place, inadvertently or not.

 

[Monello]

It's a natural thing, even if mankind is responsible for moving a particular organism from place to place, inadvertently or not.

Bucket stocking of non native fish species has ruined many a productive body of water.

Snakeheads, big head carp, lake trout, gobies, flathead catfish, lionfish, oscars, etc.

 

[littlelady]

I shall petition the Spanish government to be the official crap picking instructor. My requirements are unlimited crabs for teaching purposes, room and board at a waterfront villa, a monthly stipend, and all of the paella I can eat.

Was that a typo? Either way, it was funny.

 

[GWguy]

Snakeheads...

This came to mind immediately.

 

[NextJen]

I sure hope a few of them that stuck around Maryland decide to wander into my crab pots this year.....

 

[Monello]

I sure hope a few of them that stuck around Maryland decide to wander into my crab pots this year.....

They might speak spanish.

 

[AnthonyJames]

I'd like to order a bushel please.

 

[NextJen]

They might speak spanish.

It all sounds like spanish when they hit that steam.
Ayyeee!

 

[Chris0nllyn]

My point is: how did they "migrate" across the bottom of the ocean?

Ship ballast tanks.

 

[jazz lady]

It puzzles me why this kind of thing is considered to be so horrible. The most adaptable, compatible life forms will always thrive in the right environment. And life is surprisingly capable at spreading itself around. It's a natural thing, even if mankind is responsible for moving a particular organism from place to place, inadvertently or not.

Unintended consequences of a global economy and mankind's actions. For example, importing kudzu from Japan in the late 1800's and marketing it as a benign ornamental plant to homeowners and later to cattle growers as fodder and a cover crop. Little did they imagine it would become the "vine that ate the south" with devastating environmental consequences.

In this case, the crabs have no natural predators (think of what happened to the deer population here) and, since they are highest on the food chain, devastate the natural population.

And how the crabs got there, from the article:

As cargo ships travel across the globe, they take in and expel water — and sometimes local native species — from the portion of a ship called a ballast while goods are loaded and unloaded at each port.

 

[RoseRed]

Mute Swans are invasive, also. https://www.chesapeakebay.net/S=0/fieldguide/critter/mute_swan

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

Instead of complaining about it, maybe they should look at the new opportunity of a new industry being created - Commercial blue crab fishery. Or, if they really wanted to diversify, using the logic of reducing the blue crab population, introduce the Stripped Bass, or Rockfish, to those waters. A double positive. An increase of recreational fisheries and commercial as well.