Third Annual Salish Sea-wide Molt Blitz coming June 26
Are you one of the millions of Washington residents living on or near the Salish Sea? Join the Salish Sea-wide Molt Blitz on June 26 to contribute to the largest single-day dataset of crab molts collected in our state.
What is a molt?
In order to get bigger, a crab must shed its exoskeleton and grow a new, larger one. This shed outer shell is called a molt. Because molts retain species-identifying features like the shape and number of spines, they can be used to learn more about the diversity of crabs and other arthropods on a beach.
It can be unsettling when many molts appear on the beach. Because they retain their rigid shape and distinct features, they may be mistaken for dead crabs. In fact, because crabs must be alive to exit their old exoskeletons and successfully molt, crab molts can be used as a sign of a growing population.
What is Molt Search?
Led by Washington Sea Grant Crab Team and Washington State University Extension, Molt Search is a community science program empowering volunteers to monitor their local shorelines for invasive European green crab – using crab molts. Molt Searchers also document data on important native crab species like Dungeness crab. As a result, Molt Search data serves not only as an early alert system for green crab, but also as an indicator of native crab species health.
Green crab are tenacious predators tolerant of a wide variety of conditions. Their adaptability means they can outcompete native Dungeness crab and other species for habitat and prey. Discovering the presence of green crab early helps state managers quickly take action to reduce their spread.
Why Molt Blitz?
Since 2024, Molt Search has hosted an annual Molt Blitz to encourage new participants to join the hunt for green crab. Want to get involved? Visit our Molt Search page to find upcoming trainings as well as resources like the Molt Search Guide. A timed Molt Search takes 20 minutes, or less with friends.
Need to learn how to Molt Search? Join our virtual training June 24 at noon or find a staffed beach day-of!
We are trying to create the largest single-day dataset of crab molts in Washington state. Join Molt Blitz on June 26 by completing a Molt Search on a beach near you!
Learn more about green crab and efforts to mitigate their effects on the WSG Crab Team website.
