Researchers from University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)  joined researchers from Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and University of Florida to study crab population migrations across the east coast.

Scientists have generally understood that crabs spawn in Virginia’s salty waters and then make their way north to Maryland. Since their movement is determined by weather, currents, and tides, researchers often struggle to track the crabs during their migration.

Eric Schott

The team from UMCES, including Eric Schott and Louis Plough, are pulling DNA samples from crab legs across the Atlantic coast. If crabs from different geographic groups share lots of genetic information, it is more likely that their populations are mixing. They are also looking for a non-lethal virus called CsRV1 that can help determine similarities between crabs.

One early surprising result was that crabs found in Anne Arundel’s Rhode River showed wide genetic diversity, which could suggest that crabs are migrating from lots of different locations. The research is in its early stages and is expected to continue through next year.

Adapted from an article in the Baltimore Sun.