The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is considered one of the world’s 100 worst invasive species. Its impacts on Washington’s Pacific coast are increasing in severity with increasing population size, but its potential effects on inland ecosystems are uncertain.
Following the discovery of green crab just west of Victoria, B.C., in 2012, WSG teamed up with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and other partners to establish a volunteer monitoring program — the WSG Crab Team — in Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This program works in tandem with an outreach campaign to increase the likelihood of detecting green crab infestations early.
WSG Crab Team protects Washington shorelines from invasive European green crab through monitoring, research, and capacity-building across the state. Our goal is to minimize the spread of green crab populations and the harm caused to local species, habitats, and fisheries.