Dungeness crab population remains stable, but for how long?
– – In Oregon, Dungeness crabs continue to bring in profit for commercial crabbers but underneath the ocean’s surface, climate change has started to affect this population.
By: Hannah Lull
May 25, 2022
* Note: this article has not been published. This was unpublished work for an internship I did
I didn’t think much about where we were getting the Dungeness crabs. I didn’t think much about the future generations of crabs living off the Oregon coast. I didn’t even know about climate change and I definitely didn’t know it would eventually come for the crabs.
I couldn’t see much. The sun was so bright and I was a kid so why would I wear sunglasses? My blonde hair also kept flapping across my eyes from the harsh sea winds. I liked it when the boat stopped for a moment when we had to first throw the initial crab pots in. I could finally listen to the waves crashing against the boat. It would make such a unique slurping noise, something so distinct, I can hear the noise if I imagine hard enough before falling into dreams of the ocean. Slurp, slurp, slap against the sides, sometimes I would be thrown off balance. It wasn’t too bad though, I usually just tried to fall in the direction of my dad, who would help me back up into a shaky stance and waited patiently for me to get my sea legs.
Crabbing is an experience. Once you throw the pots in, the anticipation begins. It’s almost sad when you finally pull the pot up because the waiting is done. The wondering of how big the catch is, how many are big enough to keep, if we scored with male crabs was like a game. But the game would eventually have to end; our questions would be answered and our imagination would diminish.
I used to imagine them climbing in, using their claws to pinch at the sides of the cage. They long for the taste of the chicken neck bait, stepping and trampling over one another to be the first to reach the caged meat.
“Hannah, wanna pull them up?” my dad’s friend, Lou would ask.
I always said yes with a huge, salty smile spread across my face. My dad would help me pull the pots up by collecting the excess rope behind me. My hands would burn from the line but I kept pulling. My dad would cheer for me behind me when we started getting closer. The rope would start to smell like deep, dark ocean as it got slimier between my fingers. Pull, pull, pull and finally I was told to slow down as the crabs were about to break the surface. I braced myself for their bright shells, intense scurrying, and pinching claws.
The water would break as a dripping, wobbly cage would immerse. It was full of Dungeness crabs. Sometimes they would fill the cage to the top, packed full of our soon-to-be dinner. Their orange and purple shells would contrast sharply against the blue sea. We would then set them free on the boat’s deck and the search for the keepers would begin. They always began scurrying around and slid into the walls of the deck, some legs falling off in the process. I grabbed a few by their furthest back leg, always scared of the crab somehow doing a 180º and pinching me. We would throw back any females to keep the population strong. If males were found, we would measure them, making sure they were in regulations to keep. We always had to throw back a lot. Still, we’d come home with a few buckets full of delish Dungeness.
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I’m now 20 years old. A recent trip to Newport reminded me of my past catches as I saw a man carry home a cooler full of Dungeness with a giant smile across his face. I was brought back to the thrills of crabbing. I began to wonder how my crustacean friends are doing. A quick Google search brought me to some concerns about climate changes affecting Dungeness crabs. Back then, these crabs seemed inexhaustible. But today, the health of their population has become a topic of heated discussion. I started to dig deeper to see what exactly is happening.
Amongst the Oregon coast, Dungeness crab populations are becoming a topic of conversation. These crabs leave stranded bodies alone on the Seaside shore throughout the hot summer months. Their dull, purple-tinted orange carcasses litter the beach, sometimes matching the sunset perfectly behind them. Although it’s rather a sad sight than a breathtaking one. Some of them still lay within their shells, shivering in their weakened skin and choking on the effects of ocean acidification. I’m sure their large, unresponsive pupils shock passersby, as they did to worried scientists, who are baffled by how quickly this population has been touched by climate change. A baffling number of reports of washed-in crabs were made in July and August of 2019.
And we’re to blame.
Our immense use of fossil fuels dates back to the start of the Industrial Revolution in 1760 when we started burning more gas, coal, and oil. This production leads to an extreme amount of carbon dioxide being pumped out into the atmosphere every day. This in turn causes the atmosphere to become so thick with carbon dioxide, that it’s hard for the excess gas to filter out to space and traps the sun’s heat with it. As our global temperatures increase, the ocean starts to take in carbon dioxide, as well as heat because the earth has nowhere else to put it.
Once absorbed, carbon dioxide lowers the ocean’s pH levels and creates for more acidic waters. This creates a big problem for our beloved crabs. Their shells are shown to be dissolving from
the acidic sea and are visibly weaker due to the lowered pH level. The acidity eats away at existing shells and makes it hard for new ones to form, as carbonate ions can’t form in these conditions. Dungeness crabs rely on these ions to make a strong, protective shell. With weaker shells, Dungeness crabs have a harder time protecting themselves from predators and the ocean’s harsh climate.
Another unexpected consequence of ocean acidification was the negative impact it had on the crab’s food navigation and speed. A 2016 study conducted by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that the tiny-hair-like structures on Dungeness crabs were damaged by the ocean’s acidity. They need their larvae to find food and move fast and smoothly, but with these structures damaged, it can be harder for the crabs to survive.
On a larger scale, the high temperatures and carbon dioxide being soaked up by the ocean has allowed for the phytoplankton population to thrive. Once they die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean, engulfing the oxygen out of the water and leaving little behind for the rest of the ocean’s biodiversity. Every animal relies on oxygen to survive so when the ocean doesn’t supply enough, these organisms will start to feel the effect. In certain parts of the ocean, oxygen levels are so low that many creatures die there. Reasonably, science has termed these areas, “dead zones” and sometimes these dead zones are so consistent for a certain amount of time that it’s called the “hypoxia season”. These areas are not too far off from the Oregon coast.
“We do get calls from citizens saying there's a whole bunch of dead crabs on the beach and there have been some times but most of the time it’s the molts (outgrown shells),” Hugh Link, executive director for The Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission said. “But when a hypoxia zone hits an area, [it’ll] definitely kill the crabs and a lot of them get washed in.”
Oregon’s hypoxia season has developed a frequent pattern annually since 2002. Many crabs die from this oxygen starvation. Their organs can collapse from an oxygen absence, while their weak shells also fail in protecting their soft bodies from predators like fish, octopus, and sharks.
Since these climate change effects are recently documented, there hasn’t been much more research on the topic. Scientists are working with the commission to recognize changes and give clearer answers to what’s really going on with these crabs.
“Hypoxia season in combination to ocean acidification is kind of this large area that science doesn’t know what these impacts are going to be,” Kelly Corbett, Commercial Crab Fishery Manager for The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said. “I think really accurate predictions of what those changes are gonna look like, they're going to have to take a very integrated approach to looking at not just hypoxia, but ocean acidification, warming, ocean
conditions, and then all these other stressors acting in combination with our natural variability that's occurring out in the ocean as well, to really understand what those impacts are.”
The ocean is filled with a resourceful amount of food for humans and other animals. Once the crab population starts to die off, we can assume that crab-eating organisms won’t be achieving a sufficient diet. The Dungeness crab population will affect those who feed on them and who they feed on, causing a ripple in the prey-predator relationship within a working ecosystem. In regards to the human population, people may rely on crab meat particularly if they live near coastal cities and live off the sea’s nutrition. This lack of protein can severely damage the lives of many, especially in years to come.
To my surprise and relief, the Dungeness species has been relatively stable and the commercial revenue has been the best it’s ever been.
“Dollar value to the fisherman is the highest grossing season on record in 100 years, over $90 million to the fisherman,” Link said, explaining this year’s crabbing season accomplishments.
This translates to about $180 million dollars to the state of Oregon as many commercial crabbers put their money back into the community, whether by bettering their vessels or paying crew and crab meat processors.
Although the population isn’t declining, scientists aren’t so sure if it’ll remain stable in future years.
“We’re seeing these changes now,” Kelly Corbett, Commercial Crab Fishery Manager for The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said. “What I'm not certain of is Dungeness crab within our lifetime. Are we going to see changes to the actual population and stock? I don't know.”
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During my pursuit of finding out the status of Dungeness crabs, I reached out to some sport crabbers to obtain more information on the subject. I requested to join a Facebook group, “Crabbing in Oregon”, where I was followed up by some questions concerning why I was interested in joining. I posted an announcement on May 4 to the 6,700 crabbing fanatics, describing my interest in their recent catches.
I demonstrated my worry about what climate change has done and will continue to do to these crabs, and to the crabbing community as well. However, I quickly realized that this was a bad idea.
“Yep, looking for a reason so they can reduce limits, cancel seasons, [and] increase size limits”, Jason responded.
“Must be from California”, Rick said. A few laughing emojis reacted to his comment.
“I was crabbing and I caught a whole pot of dead crab,” Scott said, sarcastically. “Ocean was so warm, it was boiling! Please, oh please, can we raise fees and taxes so someone in government can line their pocket in the name of climate change!”
“This is how it starts, did your professor put you up to this, and fill your head full of his agenda?”, Ray asked.
This certain individual kept coming back to express his opinions. I told Ray the purpose of my article was to help crabbing populations thrive and bring light to this issue, rather than shut down the industry. He wouldn’t have it.
“Yeah sure you are,” Ray replied. “We have seen this all before. Do you dye your hair purple, drive a Subaru, and are vegetarian?”
Many others chimed in on the idea that this was just a case of a liberal college student being used as a “vehicle for [professors] and she has no idea”. They expressed their concerns about colleges becoming too liberal and talking about such silly things, like climate change.
“Most universities have turned into liberal groomers,” Justin said to Ray.
I didn’t expect such a backlash of angry people. Out of 78 comments, only a few individuals were helpful.
Deb responded saying she was out on the docks in Charleston, OR and her catches were slow and only caught small Dungeness. Ray quickly shut down her observation and said, “they will take that report and spin it and blame it on climate change,” to which she agrees.
One man, who wished to remain anonymous, emailed me privately to voice his opinions. He apologized for the verbal attack I faced, telling me that this behavior wasn’t uncommon and they can be very unkind.
He hasn’t seen any dead or dying crabs in his pots in the 15 years he’s been crabbing. He crabs frequently in Alsea Bay in Waldport, Netarts Bay, and Nehalem Bay. The crustaceans are usually of good size, quantity, and have healthy meat. Nice, sturdy-shelled crabs in Alsea Bay, lively ones in Netarts, and large males in Nehalem.
“On the incoming tides [in Nehalem Bay], you often have pots covered in seaweed, suggesting a good habitat below the water,” he said. “On a good day, we can see the bottom and there are hundreds of crabs at times in specific areas”.
He always tends to the rules and regulations and is content if the catch is enough to feed his family. He primarily wishes for fresh Dungeness crab meat and will go crabbing with anyone who has the day off. He sets aside 6 to 10 times a year to indulge in the crabbing experience and the well-desired feast to come.
He claims the biggest issue crabbers face is sea lions and/or seals who break into the crabbing pots to steal the bait or crabs themselves.
“This is a huge problem that will never be resolved,” he said. “It is not uncommon to pull up a 24x24x12 pot that is smashed and the doors are open. Seals and sea lions lay over the pots to bust them open to get to the food source”.
This crabber and along with others view the Dungeness crab population as a thriving one. He believes the fishery’s regulations and limits are reasonable. As of right now, he doesn’t think climate change is a concern for Oregon’s crabs.
The crabbing community seems to fear the idea of climate change, whether they believe it or not. They worry that decreasing populations will result in stricter rules and regulations. Current regulations in Oregon focus on the sex, size, and the season from which the crabs are captured.
“[The size, sex, and season regulations] have been in place for almost 100 years,” Corbett said. “This protects the reproductive stock of Dungeness crab.”
Regulations are constantly changing but the regulation of keeping only male crabs typically stays the same. This is put in place in order to allow the female crabs to carry on reproducing offspring. Smaller male crabs are thrown back to engage in reproduction and continue growing to reach legal size.
Regulations have been put into place to address environmental concerns, something the sports crabbers are particularly not fond of.
“There have been additional regulations over time to limit capacity of the fleet and to limit the gear and make the gear more selective and environmentally friendly,” Corbett said.
Corbett also explained that many of the more rigorous regulations recently put into place were to address harmful algal blooms and biotoxin threats. Changes have been made to assure crabbers to still harvest crabs but just in a slightly different way.
Algal blooms occur when temperatures rise and the algae populations flourish. Biotoxins are a certain kind of poison that is produced by algae. As far as scientists know, these biotoxins don’t harm crabs but they can’t be detrimental to humans and other mammals.
“The domoic acid accumulates in the [crabs’] guts,” Corbett explained. “It’s not affecting the stock. It’s affecting the commercial fishery harvesting them though.”
Corbett explains that the ODFW works closely with the health department and the Department of Agriculture to test the level of acid in the crabs. If the level is too poisonous for humans to eat, they won’t sell that crab or the contaminated parts of the crab, typically their guts.
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It’s a matter of time before more climate change effects will catch up to this species, as we can already see it affecting countless others.
“We're not quite sure what the future holds,” Link said. “But change is upon us one way or the other. We just got to work with scientists, and people, we can help them out to see what they can discover and what we can offer them in the meantime.”
By reducing our immense production of fossil fuels, ocean acidification can be limited. Our reduction will have to be significant in order for the ocean to accept our efforts. We’ll need to spread awareness of this issue to help society prioritize our environment over economics.
It might seem hard to change the minds of officials to value the life of a Dungeness crab over how much profit their city makes from factory production, but there are other ways you, as an individual consumer, can change our course to a better, ocean-rich future. By limiting energy, oil, and coal production and consumption, we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Individually, you can drive less and walk more. You can use less electricity or switch to solar energy resources instead.
Most importantly though, it’ll take everyone to change their habitats in order to repel the effects of climate change. If everyone starts to join this fight, business officials could recognize how much the people care about their carbon emissions. If we stop buying the goods that these businesses produce, they’ll start to take notice and perhaps start to decrease how much fuel they burn in hopes to get us back on their side.
Perhaps rather interestingly enough, seafood industries could reduce their impact on the environment by switching from burning oil and gas, to burning ethanol, solar, wind, and nuclear power.
As the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere decrease, the oxygen levels in the ocean will start to return back to normal. The acidity of the ocean will start to lessen with the new surplus of oxygen. Water temperatures will cool back down. Crab shells will cease to weaken, creating a new generation of strong, protected crustaceans.
We have damaged this planet too much for all climate change impacts to be reversible. Crabs may still experience the effects in years to come because even if we implant these changes now, we won’t see a difference in our lifetimes and perhaps the next. So maybe regulations of smaller catches will be put into place. Maybe the angry sport crabbers are right.
The Dungeness crab population can be saved. We just need to become environmentally aware of it - and accept it.
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We hauled the cold buckets of crabs out of the boat, splashing some of the water out on the dock. The deep sea smell was stronger here and by that point, I was getting sick of it. All I could look forward to is going home and feasting on our finds. My mother and sister were patiently waiting for us.
My family wasn’t a “eat dinner at the table” kind of family, well at least not regularly. When we went crabbing, however, we always ate at the table. I would fill in my mother with all of the day’s adventures. I would tell her about the seals we saw and how many times Lou called me their good luck charm. Sounds of cracking shells filtered through the conversation, sometimes a brief pause for one of us to ask my father to crack open a harder shell.
Sunlight still shone through our windows, despite it being close to 8 o’clock now. Birds were still singing. My cheeks still felt warm from the day’s heat. I’m sure my mother would lecture my father after dinner about the lack of sunscreen but for now, the sweet meat satisfied her tongue. The taste of summer. I, too, wanted it to last forever. All I could do was close my eyes and wait for next year’s catch. And the year after that. And the year after that. And the year after that too. And the year when my future kids can bring home their own buckets of crab, or so I hope they could.