Along the coast of Maine, the spread of the invasive European green crab has become a growing crisis with consequences that reach beyond the shoreline. These aggressive crabs are predators, destroying vital habitats and preying on native shellfish. The ecological damage alone is significant, but the ripple effects on Maine’s economy are just as alarming. So, how did we get here, and what’s being done?
The European green crab, originally found in coastal Europe and North Africa, is a small, highly invasive shore crab that has spread to many parts of the world. The green crab is listed among the world’s 100 worst invasive species. These crabs are highly adaptable to many coastal environments, and as they lack a natural predator, their population can grow at alarming rates, causing harm to the local environment and economy.
In Maine, the environmental damage to habitats and local species makes green crabs one of the most harmful invasive species in the state. These crabs cut down and uproot eelgrass beds, which are essential nursery areas for many marine life species, and erode crucial salt marshes through their burrowing behavior. They also outcompete many native crab and crustacean species for food and shelter. Their voracious appetite leads to heavily reduced biodiversity wherever they dwell.
The effects of green crabs extend beyond the environment and endanger many jobs in Maine. Marine fisheries is a major industry driving Maine’s economy, and these green crabs threaten it. They do not just feed on worms and snails but also juvenile shellfish, thereby contributing heavily to the decrease in soft-shell clam landings by almost 85 percent, which could wreck the livelihoods of thousands of clammers.
If the European green crabs cause so many issues and have been present on Maine’s coast for over a century, why have we only recently started talking about them? Although the crabs have been recognized as a growing threat since the 1950s, they only became a major focus of concern when their population increased dramatically during the early 2010s due to changing water temperatures.
Rising ocean temperatures are a problem across the world, but Maine’s coastal waters are warming at three times the rate of the global average, and as native coastal species are threatened by these increased temperatures, the adaptable green crabs thrive in warmer waters. This population boom caused concern from both the scientific and the marine farming communities and led to increased awareness in the general population and efforts by the Maine government to control the European green crabs. Some of these efforts include protective barriers and monitoring population surges.
An increased awareness regarding European green crabs has led local community members to get involved. Restaurants have begun selling green crabs on their menus, and online there is no lack of recipes outlining how to turn these invasive crabs into delicious meals. Some businesses have turned green crabs into fertilizer. Although the European green crabs are changing the way of life some are used to, the people of Maine can adapt and will overcome this obstacle.
~ Amelia McCarley `29
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