Dungeness Spit on the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Sequim remains
a hot spot for the invasive European green crab, which first showed
up in Puget Sound during the fall of 2016.
This small male crab is one of
the European green crabs caught last year in traps at Dungeness
Spit.
Photo: Allen Pleus
The green crab, one of the most dreaded invasive species in the
world, brings with it the potential to destroy shellfish beds and
disrupt key habitats essential to native species in Puget
Sound.
Thankfully, except for the Dungeness Spit, new findings of green
crabs have been almost zero since a massive volunteer trapping
effort resumed in April throughout most of Puget Sound.
I do have some additional news about green crabs to share, so
please read on for a discussion of these topics:
In a report last night on KING-5 News, Gary Chittim offered a
visually rich account of the studies taking place at the mouth of
the Elwha River, where nearshore and delta areas are expected to
receive huge loads of sediment after the Elwha and Glines Canyon
dams come out.
He noted that divers from The U.S. Geological Survey and
Environmental Protection Agency have been fighting strong currents
as they conduct a spacial survey of the plants and animals in the
nearshore area.
Gary quoted Sean Sheldrake, dive unit officer for the EPA:
“Just yesterday, we were diving on a beautiful kelp forest with
a variety of fish and plant life, and the hope is through this
reconnection of the Elwha to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, it will
not only continue but thrive.”
And in a news release last week from the U.S. Geological
Survey, Sheldrake was quoted as saying:
“Until now, we’ve focused most of our attention on the effect
this project will have on the river, salmon habitat and salmon
recovery. But with this survey, we will have a more complete and
much clearer picture of the effects on the nearshore ocean
environment.”
More than 19 million cubic meters of sediment — enough to fill
11 football fields the height of the Empire State Building — has
accumulated behind the Elwha River dams, according to the news
release. That sediment is expected to create turbidity for a time,
but in the long run could be beneficial for a variety of plant and
animal species in area.
