Green Crab Summit February 2014 Journal

On December 16, 2013 a green crab summit was held in Orono, Maine to discuss the impacts that invasive European green crabs are having along the Maine shoreline. Maine Seagrant hosted the meeting with the purpose of exchanging information on the crabs and their impacts. Participants included scientists, resource managers and policy makers, clam harvesters, educators and students, coastal resource consultants, and representatives of local, state, and national conservation organizations. Oral presentations focused on distribution, abundance, and impacts of green crabs in Maine; potential commercial uses of green crabs; and possibilities of green crab control (see presentations by Cynthia McKenzie and Chris McCarthy).A particular ESIP concern is the loss of eelgrass and damage to salt marsh (see presentations by Hilary Neckles and Dan Belknap, respectively). Green crab effects on these two vital habitats were discussed in both poster and oral format. Anyone who wasn’t able to make Orono due to the snowstorm can listen to the presentations and view the slides at: http://www.seagrant.umaine.edu/green-crab-summit. Posters are also available at: http://www.seagrant.umaine.edu/green-crab-summit/posters. A written report summarizing the information from the meeting is forthcoming and will be available on the web site.