Green Crab Seminar

European green crab. | Photo courtesy of University of Washington

The Washington Invasive Species Council, concerned about the first spotting of an invasive European green crab in their inland waters, has set up a webinar to help citizens learn how to identify and report this invader.  Since these crabs are a problem in Oregon, too, concerned naturalists in our state might wish to listen in.

The free webinar takes place from noon to 2 p.m on Tuesday, July 10.  In order to register, go here.  

The presenter is Emily Grason, a marine ecologist who coordinates the Crab Team, a volunteer-based early-detection program that organizes citizens to keep watch for this invasive species.

After three decades on the coast, European green crab was first spotted on Washington's inland shorelines in 2016. This globally damaging invasive crab is still very rare in Washington's Salish Sea, and keeping it rare relies on finding new populations while they are still small. By participating in this webinar, and learning about green crab, Washingtonians can join Washington Sea Grant's network of "Eyes on the Beach" of those who know what to look for and how to report this species, enhancing our ability to protect these shorelines.  But Oregonians can apply this knowledge to keeping an eye out for these invaders on our shorelines.