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Chesapeake Blue Crab Numbers Drop To Second-Lowest Number In Recent History
- The 2025 Chesapeake Bay Winter Dredge Survey found blue crab numbers fell to 238 million, the second-lowest since 1990 in Maryland and Virginia waters.
- This decline followed several cold snaps causing high mortality and affected all crab population segments, with decreases in adults and juveniles.
- Loss of critical habitat, invasive predators like blue catfish, and environmental factors including polluted runoff also threaten blue crab populations.
- Adult males dropped 43% to 26 million, juveniles fell 25% to 103 million, and spawning females decreased 18% to 108 million, above reproductive threshold but below targets.
- Officials await the 2026 stock assessment to clarify causes and guide management, urging cautious conservation to support future crab sustainability.
14 Articles
14 Articles
‘Red flags’ for blue crabs: Chesapeake Bay population down 25% since last year
The Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population has fallen to its second-lowest level since 1990, down 25% from last year, according to an annual study published Thursday. The numbers are alarming, environmental scientists say — but all hope is not lost. There were an estimated 317 million blue crabs in the bay this time last year, according to the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, an annual project carried out jointly by the Maryland Dep…
Maryland's Chesapeake Bay sees concerning drop in blue crab population
By Christian Olaniran Click here for updates on this story Maryland (WJZ) — Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay is seeing a concerning drop in its population of blue crabs, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). The survey, conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Maryland Department of Natural Resources, estimated total crab abundance at 238 million, the lowest count since surveys began in 1990. According to the report, th…
Chesapeake Blue Crab Numbers Drop To Second-Lowest Number In Recent History
Chesapeake Blue Crab Numbers Dropped In 2025, Survey Reveals - Annapolis, MD - The VA Institute of Marine Science and the MD Department of Natural Resources released results of their winter dredge survey for blue crabs.
Blue crab population hits second-lowest level since 1990 in the Chesapeake Bay
Blue crabs await measurement during the 2024 winter dredge survey. (Photo by Joe Zimmermann/Maryland Department of Natural Resources)Blue crab abundance in the Chesapeake Bay this year was at its second-lowest level since winter dredge surveys began in 1990, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. But the department is holding strong on the current harvest regulations, said Mandy Bromilow, blue crab program manager at the depa…
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