Blue Crab Research Paper

Also known as "beautiful swimmer," the blue crab is one of the more resilient of Chesapeake species, but its fate depends on many factors. With the drastic decline of the Bay's oysters, watermen began extending their crabbing efforts much later into the fall, the time they would normally have shifted to oystering. A decade later, the blue crab population has been cut in half! Many locals have made a career out of harvesting its seafood, and the annual harvest and many of its other attractions bring tourists and, in turn, revenue for the area. Blue crabs play a giant role in supporting the ecosystem and the community, and we need a way to help. Two solutions towards saving the native blue crabs would be to limit the amount of blue crabs harvested
and create more Marine Protected Areas and no-wake zones.
First, let’s look at a strongly enforced fishing limit. Blue crabs are a major part of the Chesapeake Bay community and ecosystem. If we continue to harvest them in large amounts, we will no longer have any blue crabs in the bay, and it will become polluted as a result: the animals, including the blue crabs would slowly die off. In order to allow the population to regrow itself, we need to take cautious actions. Enforcing the limit strictly by law could cause an effective change, people would begin to see the severity of the situation once it is established as a law.
My biggest concern against a fishing limit is it threatens to damage businesses along, but many tourists love trying crab when they come to the bay--don’t they? Another problem with a restricted fishing limit is that some fishermen do not know the true biological purpose of the blue crabs and how they help clean the bay. They do not heed to the scientific advice on fish limits and set catch limits above the recommended maximum amount. However, if we want to save the blue crab population, we need to restrict mass fishing.
Secondly, for blue crab restoration to be a success, we all must do our part.
Our everyday actions can have a large impact on the health of the bay. By making simple changes in our lives, each one of us can take part in restoring the bay and its rivers for future generations to enjoy. To protect blue crabs in the watershed, we need to consider protecting underwater grasses by creating more Marine Protected Areas. MPAs in the watershed would allow for female blue crabs to reproduce many baby blue crabs in a protected environment. The state might also want to consider creating no-wake zones in shallower waters, because the boaters might damage or destroy underwater grasses where blue crabs live. Then again, this might further damage businesses if they are restricted on where they can and can not fish. It may also cause annoyance with boaters looking to have some fun, and we can never fully monitor the water. Boaters might not heed to the scientific advice. However, despite the negatives, MPAs and no-wake zones in grassy areas would help restore the blue crab population, and make for a better Chesapeake Bay.
Nonetheless, I would like to ask for your support in strengthening our fragile bay’s ecosystem. Despite the negatives, fishing limits, more MPAs, and no-wake zones in grassy areas would prove useful in the restoration of the blue crabs. Let us provide a better future for the businessmen and women in the crabbing business, our future generations, and the survival of the blue crab
population.