[BlueChip]

The Blue Crab Year -
The Search for Megalops – August 15, 2011- Report #13
You do not need to be a scientist to report!

Reports 1 to 12 are available – email Tim Visel at tim.visel@new-haven.k12.ct.us

• Western Connect Salt Ponds identified as key blue crab habitats – seeking locations of sponge crabs;
• Mystic River blue crabs appear, Mason’s Island area;
• Three age classes now represented in many areas- 2”, 4”, legal size;
• Blue crabs reach Essex Town Dock, August 1, about 60 days later than last year;
• Catches surge in west as run approaches 50% but crabs move into deeper waters;
• Where are the female sponge crabs?
From all the reports compiled this year, those protected shallow salt ponds appear to be the source of most of the small blue crabs. The conditions west of New Haven that contain these salt ponds are shallow so they warm up quicker and sheltered from the most severe storms during the winter, appear to be more suitable for blue crabs. They must receive at least three waves of Megalops as nearly all reports break down the sizes into three distinct age classes: the 1.5” to 2”, the 3” to 4”, and the 5” and larger. I don’t think this is a coincidence. I’m reviewing close to 90 reports and the sizes are remarkably similar. East of New Haven the habitats are different and so is Long Island Sound, it’s waters are subjected to more wave energy from fetch; it’s also colder from the influence of ocean / sound interaction and receives more fresh water (mostly from the Connecticut River). I think the western Long Island Sound is the source of crabs for the east. To be certain, we really need to find out about egg bearing (sponge) female crabs, not to be confused with the black or darkened aprons (abdomens). But a female egg bearing blue crab will have a spongy mass (so the term sponge) that has an orange/yellow color that turns brown as the egg mass ripens. We should see increased amounts of true sponge crabs mixed in with large males at the deeper ends of rivers and coves in two weeks I suspect that it will be the crabbers who fish the deepest areas with traps will be the ones who will see them the first. But, I’m not certain about that either. We don’t even know where large populations of female crabs overwinter.

A report obtained a couple of weeks ago mentions that in the 1950s, 1960s as incidental catches to bay scalloping that a large female egg bearing population burrowed into the mud in Little Narragansett Bay off Napatree Point off Stonington. A more recent report (SCUBA dive report) off the Rhode Island Charlestown Breachway reported many female sponge crabs were in that area last year. But many crabbers have asked where do all the eggs come from?

What Crabbers Say

From most of the conversations these past two summers, the belief is that crabs tend to move to the east, and some veteran crabbers believe very few of our crabs survive to reproduce in eastern Connecticut. The reason for the surge in crabbing in eastern and central regions, since the 1990s, is the western area is producing more (many more) small crabs or Megalops or both. The east and some of the central sections do not contain the habitat carrying capacity of the west except for adults who bed down in a few coves: Bakers Cove, Groton; Jordan Cove, Waterford; North Cove, Old Saybrook; Lost Lake in Guilford; Smith Cove, Niantic Bay. The upper salt pond at the tidal entrance of Quinnipiac River is also suspected as the early source of New Haven Harbor blue crabs. The only significant habitat changes appear to be dredged marina channels; they might be long and narrow but they function as deep saline semi protected coves and the numerous reports of the areas containing large male jimmies this spring are too similar to ignore. I don’t think they contain vast amounts of Megalops however. Last year there were numerous reports of small crabs along the open shoreline, a rarity for eastern and central sections and can only be explained by three options:
The 2010 Blue Crab Year:
1. Small crabs were dispersed earlier in March and April by tides from western areas;
2. A Megalops set survived in some eastern areas from the west, overwintered perhaps (source unknown) because of mild relatively storm free winter;
3. A strong Megalops set occurred that survived in the east even though the 2009 crab year here was only modest to fair. And the few creeks and suitable cove habitats for Megalops (again unknown) supplied the immense record breaking eastern and central populations last year.

At this time, I’m inclined to believe #1 the movement dispersal of crabs by tides. I think from time to time #2 happens and detailed in one of the program reports and #3 is part of the focus of the study: The Search for Megalops. Do eastern and central sections obtain Megalops sets and are they Connecticut Megalops? Or do our Megalops come from Rhode Island or perhaps Gulf Stream transplants from crab producing areas down south?

I think it’s going to be a few years before we know of eastern and central Megalops survive, the first question is of course do they set here? As one crabber mentioned to me all these crabs come from eggs, so look for the eggs. How true, and direct to the point. His comment was instead of the search for Megalops, it should be a search for the sponge crabs. I couldn’t debate that because technically it’s correct.

To address some (but not all) of the questions raised by the three options mentioned above. Sue Weber has available three program reports: her email is: susan.weber@new-haven.k12.ct.us and these can be emailed to you or mailed. The first report is dated September 8th, entitled: The Search for Megalops – Blue Crab Great Years – and Then None? (September 8, 2010) It reviews habitat and climate conditions and historic changes in Blue crab populations.

The second paper reviews change in habitat carrying capacity of two Madison CT creeks: Fence Creek and Toms Creek in the early 1970s. The first monitoring proposal sought to look at eastern CT creeks for Megalops. The title is: Tidal Creek Clam Beds and Blue Crab Monitoring Student Research Projects – Where do All The Blue Crabs Come From – The Search for Megalops. This report contains a section on the possible impacts of insecticides upon the blue crab in shallow tidal areas (December 2010).

The third report EPA/DEP Long Island Sound Study HRI Committee – The Connecticut 2010 Blue Crab Season – The Search for Megalops – Aquaculture Science Projects for ISSP. This report is the basis of the study today, to look at the western sections as well as the east.

The Habitat Restoration Initiative (Committee) is a part of the EPA/DEP Long Island Sound Study. A key habitat type estuarine shell/shell litter has been discussed in terms of identifying species specific preferred habitat. The locations of dense blue crab larva (Megalops sets) have not yet been determined in Connecticut. This third program report also details a special project, Capstone or Independent Study and Seminar Program (ISSP)for New Haven High School students, monitoring shallow areas for the presence of blue crab Megalops – “The Search for Megalops – Aquaculture Science Projects for ISSP.” In the collaborative model within our outreach and inter-district programs other shoreline high schools could participate in such a study. Any interested school systems, science teachers should email me at Tim.Visel@new-haven.k12.ct.us Observations from fishermen, interested crabbers would help define and locate possible survey sites: that has already occurred and I appreciate all the responses to date.

I’m receiving reports that some trap catches (primarily from boaters) in the Mystic River Mason’s Island area have increased; also increased activity in the Black Hall River, Old Lyme. In fact, some boaters tell of increased catches while many shore reports show declines. Some of the veteran reporters claim that crabs have left the shallows, preferring a 10 to 20 feet deep area. I’m not certain if the shallow waters are now too warm, but reviewing several shore/boat reports, the boat deeper water trips generally catch more crabs in half the time as shore reports. While many reports indicate boat/trap fishing is better, crabs are now moving into the upper reaches of rivers, including the Connecticut River.

I believe the first Essex Town Dock Blue Crab caught this year was by a Niantic fisherman who came to catch some fluke. He had heard the Connecticut River was full of fluke (more towards the mouth I believe) and came to give it a try. He fished for several hours with two crabbers who tried for several hours without luck, but left a line with chicken, when it got stuck, eventually freed by tidal action and came up to the surface with a big male Jimmie, using his landing net he caught the crab late Friday afternoon, July 29th, about 60 days later than when crabs arrived at the Essex Town Dock last year.

On Saturday, an experienced crabber and one who I spent many hours with last year crabbing caught 3 large males after three hours of crabbing. He was just pleased to see some crabs, but the largest catch observed was on Monday, August 1, when a Hartford fisherman and his son crabbed for 4 hours – they were all big, between 7 and 8”, some of the largest crabs were moving up, he had seen some crabs swimming in with the tide. He had tried a week previous for several hours and not one crab – “They were not here last week.” I replied that it looked like they arrived a few days ago. Although he and his son had caught 11 huge blue crabs, he was somewhat disappointed; last year, same date, they had caught over 200 crabs in the same location. I commented, “It’s not like last year.” He agreed, but it was still great for them to come down to the water and catch a few.

The mouth of every eastern and central tidal creek and river has large male crabs, and for the first time, some reports from the Mystic areas (no word as yet from Niantic/Groton, but some crabbers were getting ready to try as I am writing this report). What is apparent is that the arrival of large male crabs arrived a day or two after the strongest moon tides and from reports “now moving up” the rivers, in increasingly large numbers.

The fluke fishermen at Saybrook Point noticed the influx of big crabs August 2nd; for several weeks they have enjoyed some modest to good fluke fishing and some blue fish also, but in the last few days, they have been bait hooking blue crabs (all male, all large); so keeping the bait on hooks is becoming a problem for all these fishermen. To make the conditions more frustrating, blue fish have arrived so the crabs have become a nuisance to these fishermen. They have been asking where have all the big blue crabs come from as there continues to be very few small crabs in the open waters along the shore in the east. One thing is for certain, these large male crabs swam or crawled to the Essex Town Dock from other areas and most likely from the western part of the state. They do not resemble the crabs of June (no yellow face crabs) and are giants – 7 to 8” males. These reports described them a moving up the estuaries and that makes sense, the first crabs arrived at the mouth of the Connecticut River around the first of July, but took a month for the crabs to move 3 miles to Essex. It should be noted that during this time we had immense rainfall and on at least two occasions crabbers reported they were pushed down or out by it.

In the crab locations, report in the west central east, crabs fall into three sizes, about 2”, 4” and legal size plus. Most of the 5 inches are now 6” so boat catchers in the west have increased 50 to 60 legal crabs are not unusual. This was expected as the enormous number of sublegals is shedding into legal sizes. It is going to be interesting to see that 2” crabs grow to about 4” before the cold weather arrives but the strength of next year’s season now rests with that July hatch, the star crab which is about an inch now and should soon leave its protective coves and begin to end up in crab traps and nets by August 30th.

If we have a warm fall, they should be 2 inches or possibly more by hibernation time. The Megalops set is being determined by these early shedding female blue crabs into sponges, now until September. A late Megalops set should occur around September 15th to October 1st. It’s possible in some of the salt ponds that heated sooner, may have sponge crabs now, so any reports of female sponge crabs are very valuable; and as a couple of SCUBA divers have shown (and thank you for those critical under water observations), so yes, if you see blue crabs especially those moving in large groups (called pods) drop me an email.

Reports have dropped off by shore striped bass fishermen and suspect the larger bass are on the shoals or deeper waters, but I welcome any reports of crab movements on top or beneath the surface, while fishing or diving.

For now please continue to send in those observations and any locations of female sponge crabs. Even if it’s just one sponge crab, every observation is important.

The continued reporting by many new and veteran crabbers is so valuable to our study and I thank each for their contribution this spring and summer; I hope they continue to send in reports to me.

Observations this year will help guide the survey methods for next year.

Every observation is important you do not need to be a scientist to participate!

The Search for Megalops is part of a Project Shellfish/Finfish Student/Citizen Monitoring Effort Supported by a 2005 grant to The Sound School from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant #2005-0191-001.

All observations are valuable; please email them to me at tim.visel@new-haven.k12.ct.us.

Program reports are available upon request.
For more information about New Haven Environmental Monitoring Initiative or for reports please contact Susan Weber, Sound School Adult Education and Outreach Program Coordinator at susan.weber@new-haven.k12.ct.us

[asianfisher]

Agree with the females in 2 weeks. havent gotten #'s in the females only 3 when i went out. late in the season for them to be not out there. i'll be going this weekend weather permitting with a report. as for the sizes we seen were more small than big but than again we didnt bother with the small and got over 60 crab in 2 hrs. 6 half softshells. 3 that mushed in your hands. yet again only 3 females which is bad and slow for the crabbing. only 1 female had eggs inside her shell when i opened her and cleaned her out. just a small amount of orange solid inside of her not outside so i didnt take one that was bearing eggs... she was in the process of building... will post what happens...

[asianfisher]

Sorry it took so long to post not easy being in MA now. So anyways i went out Saturday night to get some crabs. I didnt get to hit up the time i wanted ! 1/2 hr before low to about 1/2 hr after low. Any way i got into bout 50 crab and about a doz were legal females. Had a crew with me and there were other asians out there. All in all i got the most of the night because when i left the walkers were clouding up the water. none under 6" that i kept in the males and females were 5" to 6".... Its getting better in my eyes and the females are starting to come in more and more. Most likey will be my last post for crabs salmon season and scouting will come for me upstate NY... Sure my fam will give me reports if i get them will let phil know...