Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
Analyzing Trends of Dissolved Oxygen and Abundance of Crab Zoea in Possession Sound During the 2019/2020 recreational crab season, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reported over 735,000 pounds of legal Dungeness crab harvested in Possession Sound and the Strait of Jan de Fuca. This enormous fishery relies on numerous variables to stay alive, including the essential factor, dissolved oxygen. Low levels of dissolved oxygen can lead to an increased risk of disease and suffocation for crabs during all stages of life. When the level of dissolved oxygen drops below 2 mg/L, crustaceans including crab do not have enough oxygen to survive. This event is called hypoxia. While parts of Possession Sound have rarely had any recent experiences with hypoxia, early research conducted by students at Ocean Research College Academy indicates that levels of dissolved oxygen in Possession Sound have recently decreased. Further research in this study explores the presence and abundance of crab zoea in Possession Sound and compares these data to trends of dissolved oxygen in Possession Sound. Correlations between dissolved oxygen levels and the abundance of crab zoea could be a critical tool in the management and prediction of future crab populations in this critical crab habitat.
Session Title
Poster Session 3: Land - Water Connections
Conference Track
SSE14: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-posters-122
Start Date
27-4-2022 4:00 PM
End Date
27-4-2022 4:30 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Dungeness crab--Washington (State)--Possession Sound; Water--Dissolved oxygen--Washington (State)--Possession Sound
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Possession Sound (Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Analyzing Trends of Dissolved Oxygen and Abundance of Crab Zoea in Possession Sound
Analyzing Trends of Dissolved Oxygen and Abundance of Crab Zoea in Possession Sound During the 2019/2020 recreational crab season, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reported over 735,000 pounds of legal Dungeness crab harvested in Possession Sound and the Strait of Jan de Fuca. This enormous fishery relies on numerous variables to stay alive, including the essential factor, dissolved oxygen. Low levels of dissolved oxygen can lead to an increased risk of disease and suffocation for crabs during all stages of life. When the level of dissolved oxygen drops below 2 mg/L, crustaceans including crab do not have enough oxygen to survive. This event is called hypoxia. While parts of Possession Sound have rarely had any recent experiences with hypoxia, early research conducted by students at Ocean Research College Academy indicates that levels of dissolved oxygen in Possession Sound have recently decreased. Further research in this study explores the presence and abundance of crab zoea in Possession Sound and compares these data to trends of dissolved oxygen in Possession Sound. Correlations between dissolved oxygen levels and the abundance of crab zoea could be a critical tool in the management and prediction of future crab populations in this critical crab habitat.
