How is habitat loss a pressure on blue crabs?
Reduced acreage of underwater bay grasses due to poor water quality and irregular weather conditions has also been linked to the decline of blue crabs. Bay grass beds provide important habitat for blue crabs by protecting juveniles, molting adults and feeding adults from predators. Field experiments have shown that underwater bay grasses substantially reduce predation on juvenile blue crabs, and also result in higher growth rates compared to crabs living in unvegetated areas. In addition to habitat loss, debate has grown over the effect of increased predation on the blue crab stock. Predatory fish like striped bass and Atlantic croaker—whose populations are currently very high—may rely on juvenile blue crabs as part of their diet, affecting the abundance of blue crab recruits (age 0 crabs).
