Crab Team Welcomes Hannah Brown as Student Assistant
June 13, 2025 Hello everyone! I am so excited to serve as the new Crab Team graduate student assistant. I am passio...
Crab Team Welcomes Christopher Harris-Adams as Student Assistant
June 10, 2024 This spring, WSG Crab Team was joined by an undergraduate student assistant, Christopher Harris-Adams...
Student Makes First Detection of Green Crab in False Bay, San Juan Island
June 9, 2025 The molt at False Bay was textbook, opening at the “molt line” between the top and bottom...
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Second Annual Salish Sea-wide Molt Blitz coming June 20
June 2, 2025 Are you one of the millions of Washington residents living on or near the Salish Sea? Join the Salish...
Sunsetting the Transect Survey 🌇
At Indian Island Lagoon, Crab Team monitors will be retiring their measuring rope and quadrat, two tools of the tra...
Crab Team Turns 10: Crabstock Shell-ebration
February 26, 2025 Crab Team Origins & 10 Years of Accomplishments From humble beginnings spent daydreaming in 2...
2024 Green Crab Status Summary: Part 2 (Coastal Estuaries)
February 13, 2025 In this post, we’ll continue our reflections back on 2024 through the lens of the status and tr...
2024 Green Crab Status Summary: Part 1 (Inland)
January 6, 2025 It’s a season of new beginnings, and as we transition into the New Year, we continue to wrap...
Protocol in Focus: Catches in Focus
December 16th, 2024 Tips for taking the best photos of your bin catches Your bin photos may feel as easy as the cli...
Protocol in Focus: Why do we measure native crabs, too?
June 18, 2024 Why Measure Native Species? A Dungeness crab resigning itself to getting measured by a monitor at Kal...
Crab Team Welcomes Zach Bengtsson as Student Assistant
May 23, 2024 This winter, WSG Crab Team was joined by a second graduate student assistant, Zach Bengtsson. Zach is...
2023 Green Crab Status Summary: Part 2 (Coast)
May 7, 2024 Continuing our summary of 2023 green crab status and trends Pacific Coast The momentum and dedication...
2023 Green Crab Status Summary: Part 1 (Inland)
April 10, 2024 While 2023 already seems like an eon ago, last year’s trapping season is still very much on our mi...
Protocol in Focus: Why do we measure European green crabs?
November 17, 2023 We are Crab Team after all, so it’s perhaps no surprise that we are not shy about getting up to...
Crab Team Welcomes Elyse Kelsey as Student Assistant
September 20, 2023 Hello WSG Crab Team Community! My name is Elyse Kelsey and I am thrilled to be joining Crab Team...
2022 Season Wrap Up – WA Coast
June 15, 2023 As we dive into the 2023 European green crab trapping season, it’s important to reflect on the...
Introducing Molt Search
May 1, 2023 WSG and WSU Extension have teamed up to launch a new volunteer-based early detection program to complem...
A Code to Crab By
March 13, 2023 Crab Team has come a long way since a handful of intrepid early-adopter volunteers put their boots i...
Crab Team Welcomes Community Science Specialist
February 9, 2023 Hello Crab Team community! My name is Lisa Watkins and I’m thrilled to be joining you all as Was...
2022 European Green Crab Wrap Up: Inland sites
December 31 2022 We spend a lot of time thinking about how to quantify green crab efforts and numbers to understand...
Crab Team Welcomes Project Assistant and Postdoctoral Fellow
Header Photo: Beautiful early morning field day at Dakota Creek, Drayton Harbor. Crab Team and WDFW staff check a t...
Environmental DNA (Part 4): The Vashon Island Mystery
September 26, 2022 This is the fourth and final in a series of posts on a Crab Team project to develop environmenta...
Crab Team Welcomes Student Assistant
Header Photo: My first time working in mud flats at Fidalgo Bay which involved a mix of getting stuck and lots of f...
Protocol in Focus: Where does the data go?
August 17, 2022 This year marks Crab Team’s eighth monitoring season, a fact that completely blows our minds....
Monitors Capture Their First in Green Crab in Chuckanut Bay
August 9, 2022 Ventral view of female crab captured by volunteer monitors. The bright red-orange underside is chara...
In the Nick of time? An early detection and rapid assessment in Hood Canal
June 8, 2022 The amazing volunteers who make up Washington Sea Grant’s Crab Team have done it again, detecting a...
Crab Team at the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
May 31, 2022 The second all-virtual Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (April 26-28) offered everyone with an interest...
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Community Science Volunteers Discover Invasive European Green Crab in Hood Canal
May 19, 2022 Original post: https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/community-science-volunteers-discover-invasive-european-green-...
Environmental DNA (Part 3): Reconciling eDNA with Traditional Detection Methods
March 30, 2022 This is the third in a series of posts on a Crab Team project to develop environmental DNA (eDNA) fo...
Environmental DNA (Part 2): A Cautionary Carp Tale
March 3, 2022 This is the second in a series of posts sharing new research on the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) i...
Environmental DNA (Part 1): Green Crab Monitoring 2.0?
February 24, 2022 Early detection is one of the best ways to thwart an invasive species, but trying to find some of...
Coastal Green Crab Captures Increased in 2021
January 20, 2022 Trapping throughout 2021 indicates that the European green crab invasion has grown across Washingt...
What Does the Invasion at Lummi Mean for the Salish Sea?
December 6, 2021 The recent report by the Lummi Nation of more than 70,000 European green crabs captured this year...
Protocol in Focus: Male or Female?
One strength of the Crab Team protocol is that it enables us to confidently compare findings among sites, and track...
Fifth Anniversary of First Green Crab Detection
August 31, 2021 It’s been just five years since the first phone call came in with the news we all feared. I w...
Padilla Bay: In It For The Long Haul
August 23, 2021 August 30 of this year will mark the fifth anniversary of the first confirmed detection of invasive...
Protocol in Focus: Is it a molt or a dead crab?
One strength of the Crab Team protocol is that it enables us to confidently compare findings among sites, and track...
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WSG Crab Team Wins Award for Outstanding Community Impact
May 13, 2021 We are thrilled to share that Washington Sea Grant Crab Team won this year’s University of Washingto...
Completing the First Year of a Collaborative Removal Effort at Drayton Harbor
December 23, 2020 One of the big successes this year was the launch of a local removal effort in Drayton Harbor. In...
2020 Coastal Green Crab Update
December 16, 2020 As we hang up our hip boots to dry until next season (right next to the holiday lights, of course...
2020 Salish Sea Green Crab Update
November 23, 2020 Trapping for European green crab has mostly concluded for the 2020 season, enabling us to take st...
Meet Alex Stote, Crab Team Coastal Specialist at WSG
October 12, 2020 Hello WSG Crab Team enthusiasts! Now that the whirlwind of the trapping season is winding down, Iâ...
WSG and WDFW Expand Green Crab Trapping on the Washington Coast
August 30, 2020 In 2016, when invasive European green crabs were first found on San Juan Island, media coverage lef...
Launching Collaborative Green Crab Management in Drayton Harbor (part 2)
July 3, 2020 Removal of European green crab in Drayton Harbor is now underway, thanks to the collaborative efforts...
Launching Collaborative Green Crab Management in Drayton Harbor (part 1)
July 2, 2020 Removal of European green crab in Drayton Harbor is now underway, thanks to the collaborative efforts...
A Slow Start to the 2020 Green Crab Season
May 8, 2020 Like so many other projects and programs right now, partners contributing to state-wide efforts to mana...
WSG Crab Team Receives 2020 Salish Sea Science Prize
April 22, 2020 The SeaDoc Society announced Washington Sea Grant Crab Team as the 2020 winner of the Salish Sea Sc...
Crab Team Welcomes Program Coordinator
April 9, 2020 Dear Crab Team enthusiasts, I’m excited to introduce myself as the new Crab Team coordinator. Durin...
Crab Team and COVID-19
March 31, 2020 March and April are typically the busiest months on the Crab Team annual calendar, as staff and volu...
Protocol in Focus: How do we steward Crab Team sites?
In addition to creating a scientifically robust sampling scheme, and one that is sensitive to finding green crab wh...
Further Green Crab Captures in Whatcom County
October 22, 2019 Broadening the search for invasive European green crab in Drayton Harbor, Washington Department of...
Invasive Green Crabs Found at Drayton Harbor
(Photo: A male, 38.5mm European green crab, one of the 17 captured at Drayton Harbor last month.) Â October 8, 20...
European Green Crab Detection During San Juan Island Assessment
September 6th, 2019 European green crab found at Westcott Bay. Photo: Kelly Martin Last week, Crab Team Program Man...
Detection of European Green Crab in Drayton Harbor
August 22, 2019 Crab Team volunteers in Drayton Harbor, just south of the border with Canada, found the shell of an...
Additional Green Crab Captured in Samish Bay
August 13, 2019 Female European green crab captured by shellfish growers working for Taylor Shellfish. This crab wa...
Green Crab Trappers Get Skunked at Pysht
July 17, 2019 Lora Burke and Gillian Elofson, interns with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe loaded up with traps and r...
Additional Green Crabs Captured in Whatcom County
 July 8, 2019 One of the male European green crabs captured in Chuckanut Bay. Photo: Chelsey Buffington, WDFW Las...
Protocol In Focus: Why do we estimate the roots of vegetation?
June 3, 2019 One strength of the Crab Team protocol is that it enables us to confidently compare findings among sit...
New detection of European green crab in Bellingham
May 30, 2019 Vicinity map of Squalicum Harbor showing location of green crab remains (yellow dot) and Crab Team mon...
Green Crab Trapping Resumes in the Salish Sea
May 13, 2019 The return of spring means trapping season for green crab is now under way. In April, WSG Crab Team re...
New Detection of European Green Crab in Samish Bay
 January 23, 2019 Samish Bay is located just northeast of Padilla Bay. Three European green crab have been found...
2018 European Green Crab Season Update
November 1, 2018 The turning of the leaves signals a winding-down of green crab trapping activities. Just as it fee...
European green crab found in Port Townsend area
September 25, 2018 The Kala “Krabbers” with European green crab. From back row, left to right: Wendy Fe...
Protocol In Focus: Why do we use mackerel as bait?
September 10, 2018 One strength of the Crab Team protocol is that it enables us to confidently compare findings amo...
WSG Crab Team Trip to Makah Bay
August 8th, 2018 Measuring one of the green crab caught in a trap in the Wa’atch River estuary. Last month, W...
Building Capacity to Protect the Salish Sea From European Green Crab
 July 5th, 2018 As we wrote last week, the first half of this monitoring season has seen several new detections of...
European Green Crab Status Update
June 29, 2018 The first half of the 2018 WSG Crab Team monitoring season is coming to a close, and with that comes...
Single Green Crab Found During Follow-Up Assessment on Whidbey Island
June 11, 2018 Last week, WSG Crab Team spent three full days in the mud at Lagoon Point on Whidbey Island. After tw...
HEOR or HENU?
May 11, 2018 HEOR or HENU? Crab Team volunteers know it’s one of the most challenging questions we face duri...
Protocol In Focus: HEOR Parasites
Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) sexes as compared to national monuments. Crab Photos: FDA Monument Photos: Wikipedi...
Crab Team Highlights from the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference – Part 2
April 27, 2018 Yesterday’s blog post covered the highlights from the first green crab special session at the...
Crab Team Highlights from the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference – Part 1
April 26, 2018 Between April 4th and 6th hundreds of scientists, managers, and policymakers descended upon the Wash...
Where are the European Green Crab in the Salish Sea Coming From?
April 25, 2018 Finding a few isolated pockets of invasive European green crab in Washington’s Salish Sea over...
Documenting the European Green Crab Range Expansion
(Header photo: Allen Pleus, Aquatic Invasive Species Unit Lead for Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife wit...
Crab Team Welcomes Program Assistant
Header photo: assisting with the Cape Eleuthera Institute’s green sea turtle research. Â January 17, 2018 Ch...
Protocol in Focus: What Happens to My Data?
November 21, 2017 One strength of the Crab Team protocol is that it enables us to confidently compare findings amon...
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CORRECTION: First European Green Crab Confirmed in Port Angeles
February 5, 2018: CORRECTION Since this report was made, we have determined that the evidence originally submitted...
New Coastal Site for European Green Crab: Makah Bay
Header image courtesy of Zach Moore/USFWS October 25, 2017 At the end of August, Crab Team received an email on our...
Trapping for European Green Crab on Whidbey Island
October 12, 2017 The crew prepares to deploy traps at Lagoon Point. L-R Crab Team Lead, Jeff Adams; Volunteers Debr...
European Green Crab Captured on Whidbey Island
Adult European green crab captured by Crab Team volunteers at Lagoon Point this weekend. Photos: courtesy of Bridge...
European Green Crab Found in Sequim Bay
August 23, 2017 A single European green crab was captured in Sequim Bay last week by Neil Harrington, an Environmen...
Evidence of Predation on European Green Crab from Padilla Bay
August 14, 2017 It looks as though Crab Team, now a network of 52 early detection sites monitored by more than 200...
Widening the Search for European Green Crab in the Strait of Juan de Fuca
July 20, 2017 Trapping to remove invasive European green crab from Dungeness Spit National Wildlife Refuge is in it...
Update on European Green Crab at Dungeness Spit
Header image: Allen Pleus (WDFW) June 22, 2017 Four European green crab were captured at Dungeness Spit in early Ap...
Invasive Green Crab Found at Dungeness Spit
(Photo: European Green Crab found at Dungeness Spit, Sequim, April 2017. Photo by Allen Pleus, Washington Departme...
Protocol in Focus: Why do we survey the habitat transect every month?
One strength of the Crab Team protocol is that it enables us to confidently compare findings among sites, and track...
Crab Team Takes Willapa Bay by Storm: Part 3
November 15, 2016 This series of three posts was originally written in August, but was pre-empted by the news of Eu...
Crab Team Takes Willapa Bay by Storm: Part 2
November 8, 2016 This series of three posts was originally written in August, but was pre-empted by the news of Eur...
Crab Team Takes Willapa Bay by Storm!
November 3, 2016Â This series of three posts was originally written in August, but was pre-empted by the news of E...
Volunteer Voices: The Discovery of a European Green Crab on San Juan Island
October 18, 2016 You’ve heard a lot from us about sightings of the European green crabs that have occurred ov...
How to Get Your “Eyes on the Beach” Like a Pro
October 6, 2016Â The recent captures of invasive European green crabs, the first documented in Washington’s...
Padilla Bay Rapid Assessment: Wrap Up
Header image by Allen Pleus (WDFW) September 29, 2016 The joint effort by WSG Crab Team, Washington Department of F...
Padilla Bay Rapid Response: Day 2
September 27, 2016 Map showing trapping (white) and capture (red) sites to date for invasive European green crab in...
Padilla Bay Rapid Response: Day 1
September 26, 2016 Emily here to report that Crab Team is on the road again, spending three days in Padilla Bay wh...
New Sighting of European Green Crab in Padilla Bay
September 23, 2016 Hot on the heels of the recent capture of the first confirmed European green crab along Washingt...
Crab Team’s Rapid Response: Day 2 & 3, the Big Finale!
September 14, 2016 Emily here again, this time from back in Seattle. Our boots are washed, the gear is stowed, and...
Crab Team’s Rapid Response: Day 1
September 12, 2016 Emily preps bait for trapping response on the FHL docks. Emily here, writing from beautiful Frid...
Protocol in Focus: What is “live epifauna”?
September 8, 2016 One strength of the Crab Team protocol is that it enables us to confidently compare findings a...
First sighting of European green crab in inland Washington confirmed
September 2, 2016 Crab Team volunteers discovered the first confirmed sighting of a European green crab along inlan...
Protocol In Focus: Why Do We Use Two Types of Trap?
One strength of the Crab Team protocol is that it enables us to confidently compare findings among different si...
Building Citizen Science with Volunteers as Partners: Part 3
The field of citizen science has grown explosively over the last decade, benefitting from excellent PR, Presidentia...
Building Citizen Science With Volunteers As Partners: Part 2
2015 was a pilot year for Crab Team monitoring. This is the second of two post in which, Natalie White, an undergra...
Building Citizen Science With Volunteers As Partners: Part 1
2015 was a pilot year for Crab Team monitoring. Here, in a series of two posts, Natalie White, an undergraduate in...
Protocol in Focus: What Is “Haphazard Sampling”?
One strength of the Crab Team protocol is that it enables us to confidently compare findings among different si...
The Crab Team Welcomes You to 2016!
Happy New Year! While the weather outside the Crab Team offices makes us happy that it is not yet time to start mon...