Invasive Green Crab Monitoring Volunteer Training

Washington Sea Grant is partnering with Island County Beach Watchers to monitor for invasive European Crabs at sites throughout Island County. If you are interested in monitoring local pocket estuaries, this workshop is for you. The workshop will cover Green Crab life history, threats to Puget Sound, crab identification, and instruction on monitoring protocols.

In 2012, an established population of the globally invasive crab was discovered in Sooke Inlet, B.C., on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the first time this species has been found in the Salish Sea. The presence of this invasive crab within the Salish Sea increases the chances that European Green Crabs could invade further into inland Puget Sound shorelines, where habitat is plentiful for green crabs to thrive.

Monitoring of selected beaches on Whidbey Island will start this year and also will be repeated next year from April through September.  Thus, everyone who is interested in this project, even if they cannot commit for this year, are encouraged to come and learn what this is all about. All necessary equipment and training will be provided. Observations will contribute, not only to the conservation of Washington shorelines, but also to research on our diverse pocket estuary habitats. Curious about whether your favorite shoreline might be good Green Crab habitat? Visit the following Washington Sea Grant website to see priority shoreline sites: www.tinyurl.com/wagreencrab.