Maryland is known for their blue crabs, but if crabbers exploit the blue crabs’ population, Maryland’s famous blue crabs will be extinct. Blue crabs play a large economic role in Maryland as they bring in money for the state, whether it be from people going crabbing or eating crabs. With all the benefits of blue crabs in Maryland, the government has taken a stand to ensure a large blue crab population in the future. The blue crab population in the Chesapeake Bay was considered to be a surplus from
The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, is one of the most familiar inhabitants of marshes and waterways along the Atlantic and GMx coasts of North America. The abundance of blue crab larvae and juveniles make them important components of the diets of numerous species of fish, invertebrate and avian predators (Van Engel 1987, Guillory and Elliot 2001). As juveniles and adults, blue crabs act as generalist predators on benthic infauna and epifauna; consuming invertebrates, fish, and crustaceans (including
130 Species Profile of the Maryland Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) Roberto Garcia American Public University System Abstract The Callinectes sapidus also known commonly as the Maryland Blue Crab, is a crustacean found in the Chesapeake Bay. The blue crab is found in aquatic environments, most often in estuaries. It characterized by it’s blue claws. The blue crabs undergo a life cycle of: zoeae, megalop, juvenile, and adulthood. The blue crab’s hard shells serve as a protective
is the blue crab. This one crab is the keystone of the food web, and it’s both prey and predator. If the blue crabs were to die off, things they eat like marsh periwinkles, smaller crustaceans, and thin shelled bivalves would become overpopulated. Especially marsh periwinkles which are kept under control by the blue crabs. Not only would the harm of blue crabs affect prey, but it would also affect predators. If the blue crab population were to drop even more, the animals that rely on the crab as their
European Green Crabs in particular cause mass harm to their surrounding habitat. However, there are several methods put in place to control the widespread of these creatures and minimize the harm caused by European green crabs. The European green crab can spread accidentally and then stay and cause harm to their new surroundings. Although these green crabs can cause serious harm, there are multiple measures in place to minimize the degree of harm. Confirmation of European green crabs in Canada
from human activities cause “Dead Zones” , which are areas with low amounts of oxygen. With little or no oxygen, fish, crabs, oysters, and other aquatic animals literally suffocate. Further excess in nutrients also fuels the growth of dense algae blooms that block sunlight that underwater grasses need to grow in order to continue providing food for waterfowl and shelter for blue crabs and juvenile fish. (Chesapeake Bay Foundation) (Dead Zones) When there are excessive loads of Nitrogen and Phosphorous
find unrelated: lawn care and seafood. In one commercial, a man stuffs a big plateful of grass in his mouth after a voice-over says, “Spring rains carry excess lawn fertilizers through our sewers and rivers and into the Chesapeake Bay, where the blue crab harvest has been extremely low. So skip the fertilizer until fall, because once they’re gone, what’s left to enjoy?”(Environment, p. 7) This ad is directed to many people in the Chesapeake Bay region because there are tons of pollution each year
The Chesapeake Bay, which derives from the Algonquin word Chesepiooc meaning “great shellfish bay”, has been around for a very long time. Approximately 35 million years ago, a rare bolide (a comet- or asteroid-like object) hit what is now the lower tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, creating a 55-mile-wide crater. The bolide created what geologists call the “Exmore Crater,” which they believe was as large as Rhode Island and as deep as the Grand Canyon. Although this bolide did not create the Chesapeake
seemingly humane, are actually very detrimental to the crab population. For instance, when Hal Herzog, a Professor of Psychology at Western California University, ventured to Florida’s Gulf coast, the crabbers there explained to him the two varieties of crabs which they harvested; the “lucky” stone crabs and the “unlucky” blue crabs (Herzog). The blue crabs were considered unlucky because they were killed on the spot; however, the stone crabs were considered lucky because of their ability to regenerate
Maryland is the 42nd largest state, making it one of the smaller states in America. It is located in the South Atlantic region on the United States eastern seaboard. Prince George's is one of twenty four counties in Maryland. It is also the geographic center of the state. Maryland has a varied climate. The state is home to a variety of different ecosystems. This is also true of Maryland’s environment, which has the Atlantic Ocean on the coast, mountains, and forest land. My paper