Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
First detected in the Puget Sound, WA, in 2016, European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is a damaging invasive species outside of its native range in the northeastern Atlantic. There are substantial concerns around the species’ potential ecological impacts to the Salish Sea should it become established, including degradation of eelgrass and estuarine habitats and significant alteration of food webs. However, it can be difficult to assess the trophic impacts of introduced species in newly invaded areas, where populations are small or not yet fully established; in situ observations of crab predation are also complicated by the crab mastication process, which severely shreds prey items. Our research couples DNA metabarcoding with bioenergetic models in order to provide a quantitative, scalable assessment of European green crab predation on fish and invertebrate populations in the Puget Sound. We first analyze crab stomach contents using DNA metabarcoding of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene region, working with the European green crab collection managed by Washington Sea Grant Crab Team and developed through extensive trapping efforts with multiple partners. We then apply prey identification and relative abundance data from DNA metabarcoding, along with visual observations of stomach fullness as a metric of foraging success, to site-specific bioenergetic models. Bioenergetic modeling quantifies European green crab predation on local prey populations, and estimates site-specific crab growth rates. This work evaluates current trophic impacts of European green crab and seeks to understand potential future threats to Puget Sound estuaries, including predation on economically and culturally important shellfish species.
Session Title
Poster Session 2: The Salish Sea Food Web and Cycles of Life
Conference Track
SSE14: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-posters-324
Start Date
26-4-2022 4:30 PM
End Date
26-4-2022 5:00 PM
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
European green crab (Carcinus maenas) predation in Puget Sound estuaries
First detected in the Puget Sound, WA, in 2016, European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is a damaging invasive species outside of its native range in the northeastern Atlantic. There are substantial concerns around the species’ potential ecological impacts to the Salish Sea should it become established, including degradation of eelgrass and estuarine habitats and significant alteration of food webs. However, it can be difficult to assess the trophic impacts of introduced species in newly invaded areas, where populations are small or not yet fully established; in situ observations of crab predation are also complicated by the crab mastication process, which severely shreds prey items. Our research couples DNA metabarcoding with bioenergetic models in order to provide a quantitative, scalable assessment of European green crab predation on fish and invertebrate populations in the Puget Sound. We first analyze crab stomach contents using DNA metabarcoding of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene region, working with the European green crab collection managed by Washington Sea Grant Crab Team and developed through extensive trapping efforts with multiple partners. We then apply prey identification and relative abundance data from DNA metabarcoding, along with visual observations of stomach fullness as a metric of foraging success, to site-specific bioenergetic models. Bioenergetic modeling quantifies European green crab predation on local prey populations, and estimates site-specific crab growth rates. This work evaluates current trophic impacts of European green crab and seeks to understand potential future threats to Puget Sound estuaries, including predation on economically and culturally important shellfish species.
