Uncategorized admin | 01 Jul 2007 09:07 am
The Mitten Crab
On January 24, 2001, we began a new project in the watershed. In cooperation with Portland State University we are monitoring for Mitten Crab. Mitten Crab are an invasive aquatic species which have come to the United States in the ballast water of ships from Asia and Europe. The crabs burrow into stream banks and cause erosion. They have proven to be quite a problem in the San Francisco Bay Estuary. They may threaten salmon by eating the salmon eggs and food supply. Their distinquishing characteristics are their large hairy claws and their presence in fresh water. We put out several monitoring devices to detect the presence of the crab. I tied one to the dock at the Beaver Boat Ramp in Clatskanie, wondering how long it would be before someone would take it. But having faith in people, I thought that maybe, since it is only a small square basket with several lengths of PVC pipe in it, that no one would find it an attractive item to steal. I was wrong. It disappeared within about three weeks. If anyone knows of its whereabouts I would appreciate it if it were returned. Detecting the presence of mitten crab is important to anyone who is interested in our environment and our fish populations.
If you find what you think might be a mitten crab please contact the Lower Columbia Watershed Council by E-mail.
Margaret Magruder, coordinator for the Lower Columbia Watershed Council, sampling for the Mitten Crab, an invasive species from China.