Port Townsend Marine Science Center

Photo: Greg C Jensen Washington's salt marshes and pocket estuaries are incredibly diverse and productive habitats. Unfortunately, they are also highly threatened by shoreline development, pollution, and now, a potential invader. European green crabs (Carcinus maenas), often listed as one of the world's worst invasive species, are now poised to enter Washington’s inland waters along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. This crab has invaded nearly every temperate marine habitat worldwide, and has been found on the outer coast of Washington…