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Northwest Fisheries Science Center Monster Jam
January 30 @ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Evidence of Impact, and the Impact of Evidence: Evaluating knowledge sources of ecological changes caused by European green crabs in Washington state
Emily Grason
Marine Ecologist | Crab Team Program Manager; Washington Sea Grant
DATE/TIME
Thursday, January 30th, 2025 at 11am Pacific
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NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center Auditorium, 2725 Montlake Blvd East, Seattle, WA 98112
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ABSTRACT
Ecological impacts of biological invasions are inherently difficult to predict given they occur at the intersection of evolutionarily novel species interactions and context dependent community properties and dynamics. In many cases, it takes years after arrival and establishment of a new species for impacts to become detectable or measurable. In some cases, this is because the invader just is not yet abundant enough to result in detectable habitat, population, or community changes. Nevertheless, a mechanistic understanding of how invasives can drive ecological or physical change in new habitats is needed to design effective management strategies – the earlier the better. While confident (and accurate) quantitative predictions of impacts may ultimately be difficult to achieve, advancing the timeline of achieving a mechanistic understanding is a useful area of research for any new invasion.
Though first detected in Washington in 1998, European green crab has only recently (3-5 years) experienced the population growth that indicates a shift to establishment. As a generalist predator, the range of impacts green crab could have through direct interactions is quite large, let alone additional indirect interactions and habitat modifications that have been observed in other parts of its invasive range. Here we organize research to date that provides evidence for locally relevant impacts of green crab. When manipulative field experiments are not feasible, as is often the case at the early stages of invasion, other types of evidence can be used to develop a robust understanding of impact contexts, geographies, and mechanisms. This framework also provides a structure to identify research gaps and needs for management.
BIO
Emily Grason is a marine ecologist at Washington Sea Grant. As the lead for Crab Team, she oversees a comprehensive program focused on monitoring and control of the European green crab. Starting with a flagship citizen science early detection monitoring network ten years ago, the program has expanded to support Washington’s technical needs related to green crab management, including research and capacity building. She also facilitates the Oyster Drill Working Group and serves in the science seat on the Northwest Straits Commission.
Emily holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Washington, completed her master’s work at Western Washington University, and her undergraduate work at Bowdoin College. She really enjoys walking in, on, and through Washington’s muddy, salty places, and sometimes remembers to look up for birds.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Fisher et al 2024: Fisher MC, Grason EW, Stote A, Kelly RP, Litle K, McDonald PS (2024) Invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) predation in a Washington State estuary revealed with DNA metabarcoding. PLoS ONE 19(5): e0302518. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0302518
Grason et al. 2024 Grason, EW, et al. 2024. Recruitment and Losses through the Life Cycle for IntertidalClams in Willapa Bay, Washington. Aquaculture Research. Volume 2024, Article ID 7411697, 12 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/7411697
SEMINAR CO-CHAIRS
Jen Gosselin
Jen Zamon
Beth Sanderson
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More information
NWFSC Monster Seminar Jam website