Tracking Dungeness Crab to Support Smarter Management

Led by Liz Tobin, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
Collaborators: Puget Sound Restoration Fund, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Dungeness crab is a valuable and culturally important species in the Salish Sea, but managers don’t have enough data to track how crab populations are changing. This project, led by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and other partners, will collect year-round data on crab size, sex, and shell condition in the Eastern Strait. The goal is to better understand crab molting and how it’s affected by things like depth and temperature. The results will help determine if current fishing closures are timed right to protect crabs during vulnerable molting periods and ensure healthy crab populations for the future.