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Invasive green crabs from Canada pose threat to Maine's shellfish industry

Researchers fear the aggressive green crab species threatens Maine's clam and mussel industry.

(NEWS CENTER Maine) — As the presence of an aggressive green crab from Nova Scotia increases off the coast of Maine, researchers are trying to understand why.

Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) says the Canadian breed of crabs, that feed off mussels and clams, have dramatically increased in the past few years in some parts off the Maine coast.

Researchers worry that the invasive crab's continual population increase is threatening one of the state's major wild fisheries of soft-shell clams and blue mussels.

“They are the most aggressive crabs ever seen. We don’t understand yet why they are so aggressive,” says Markus Frederich, Ph.D., professor of Marine Sciences at the University of New England.

“So, if we think we have a green crab problem now, in a few years it will be way more pronounced.”

VIDEO: Invasive Green Crab from Canada runs on treadmill at UNE

Frederich is conducting research to try to understand what makes the crabs so aggressive.

“The crabs have a high potential for destroying soft shell clams, eelgrass beds and who knows what else,” says Frederich.

The broad range of tests being conducted includes the impact that changes in water temperature and salinity have on the crabs. The crabs are even put on treadmills as part of stress tests to determine how long they can run.

DMR wants to reduce the population of the green crab because they are so destructive and because they are a non-native species

Maine Department of Marine Resources is working with industry, academe, and municipal shellfish programs to monitor and contain the spread of the green crabs.

Frederich hopes by learning more about what these aggressive crabs do, some solutions can be found.

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