Guide of SEA CRABS

It came from the sea: ’Monster’ crabs evolve a bug’s nose
New results show that land-living crabs, descended from marine ancestors, have re-invented key aspects of the insect nose through evolution in order to solve the problem of olfaction in their air-filled terrestrial environment.
Robber crabs are perhaps most famous for their ability to climb tall palm trees in search of coconuts, which they later are able to crack open with their massive claws.
These crabs are fully adapted to a life on land and will actually drown if submerged in water.
The robber crab’s transition from sea to land has been accomplished through numerous, and in many cases far-reaching, adaptations.
A question not previously addressed is how the robber crabs have adapted to olfaction in their new environment – an intriguing question because the sense of smell needs to operate under very different conditions in air compared to water.
Hansson from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, together with colleagues from Lund University, Sweden and the University of New South Wales, Australia, show not only that these impressive crabs have a functional sense of smell but that the olfactory system they have developed is in fact highly sophisticated and sensitive.


SEA CRABS

Maryland Sea Grant: Blue Crab Stock Enhancement Lessons
Given the importance of the Japanese experience, Maryland Sea Grant provided funding for three scientists to visit Japan in August 2001.
The results of their trip can be found in the Maryland Sea Grant report: Japanese Hatchery-based Stock Enhancement: Lessons for the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab David H.
It is also available upon request directly from Maryland Sea Grant.
Their report is thorough and thought provoking and will provide a reference point for continuing discussions both within and outside the research community.

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Photo by www.innovations-report.de

Horseshoe Crabs - Sea Grant – St. Johns County Extension Office
Home About Sea Grant Horseshoe Crabs Did you know? Horseshoe crabs are among the world's oldest creatures (300 million years old!) Horseshoe crabs are most closely related to spiders and scorpions Horseshoe crabs eat clams and worms Female horseshoe crabs come out of the water to lay their eggs on the beach.  You may come across nesting females, often with male crabs clinging onto their backs, in the late spring.  The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in Florida is studying horseshoe crab populations and asks you to report sightings of mating and nesting activity at their website .
Horseshoe crabs have been used to study human biology, especially the ways that our eyes work.  Compounds from the horseshoe crab's shell are used to make surgical sutures.  Chemicals from the crab's blood are used in many drugs.
More Information Delaware Sea Grant has produced a horseshoe crab model which can be ordered from their website .  The model includes facts about the horseshoe crab as well as a crossword puzzle.  It is recommended for students in grades 5-8..
The University of Florida has a downloadable brochure about horseshoe crabs.  You can access it here.

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Crabs to be nipped by North sea dredging - 02 April 1994 - New Scientist
Article Preview Crabs to be nipped by North sea dredging 02 April 1994 FRED PEARCE Magazine issue 1919 Dredgers will this summer gouge a hole a kilometre wide in the middle of one of the North Sea's most important crab breeding sites, where researchers last year caught more than 8000 crabs - the largest haul ever taken in British waters.
Ministers admitted that the research they commissioned into the impact dredging would have on the ecosystem of the bank, including fish spawning and nursery areas, would not be complete until after the first year's dredging had ended.

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