Species: Cancer magister

Dungeness Crab
Species

    Science Review:

    Articles:

    How crabs respond to low oxygen in Hood Canal

    As observed in Hood Canal, low-oxygen conditions can upend the lives of Dungeness crabs trying to stay alive. Levels of dissolved oxygen can alter predator-prey relationships for a multitude of species, affecting populations throughout the food web. Part two of our series "Oxygen for life" examines a crab case study.

    A person holding a rope attached to a wire cage holding recently captured Dungeness crabs.
    Rate of ocean acidification may accelerate, scientists warn

    Last summer, scientists met at the University of Washington to address alarming findings concerning the rapid acidification of the world's oceans. Experts at that symposium warned that wildlife in the Salish Sea, from salmon to shellfish, may start to see significant effects from changing water chemistry within the next 10 to 20 years. This article summarizes the symposium's key findings and was commissioned and edited by the Washington Ocean Acidification Center which hosted the gathering. Funds for the article were provided by the Washington state legislature. [A version of this article was originally published by the Washington Ocean Acidification Center.]

    In laboratory experiments, a pteropod shell dissolved over the course of 45 days in seawater adjusted to an ocean chemistry projected for the year 2100. Photo: NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory
    Ghost nets still fishing in the deep waters of Puget Sound

    New technology is helping to remove deadly “ghost nets” that have been lost in the depths of Puget Sound. It is part of an effort that saves millions of animals every year, but managers say better reporting of these lost nets by fishermen is still needed.    

    Derelict fishing gear with animal carasses found by the USFWS Puget Sound Coastal Program. Credit Joan Drinkwin/USFWS https://flic.kr/p/8TX8CQ (CC BY 2.0)
    Ocean acidification may be twice as extreme in Puget Sound’s seagrass habitats, threatening Dungeness crabs

    Ocean acidification could be up to twice as severe in fragile seagrass habitats as it is in the open ocean, according to a study published last April in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The conditions may threaten Dungeness crabs by 2050 and will be especially pronounced in the winter, the study says.

    An eelgrass bed in Puget Sound. Photo courtesy of Oregon State University.
    Native shellfish in nearshore ecosystems of Puget Sound

    This is the executive summary from a technical report produced for the Puget Sound Nearshore Partnership on Valued Ecosystem Components (VEC). The entire document is included as a PDF with this summary.

    Olympia oysters in Washington. Photo courtesy of NOAA.
    Dungeness crabs in Puget Sound

    Dungeness crabs are an important resource in Puget Sound for recreational, commercial, and tribal fisheries. They utilize a variety of habitats over the course of their lives, and are vulnerable to shifts in ocean temperature and water quality.

    Dungeness crab (Cancer magister). Photo courtesy of NOAA.
    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Crustacea
    Class

    Malacostraca

    Order

    Decapoda

    Family

    Cancridae

    Genus

    Cancer

    Classification
    Informal Taxonomy
    Animals, Invertebrates - Crustaceans - Other Crustaceans
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Crustacea - Malacostraca - Decapoda - Cancridae - Cancer
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    G5
    Global Status Last Reviewed
    2005-03-18
    Global Status Last Changed
    2005-03-18
    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?US.WA=SNR" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.768918