Dungeness Crab (Cancer magister)

Watercolor and colored pencil

The Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) inhabits eelgrass beds and water bottoms of the west coast of the US, where it is one of the most important species to the seafood industry and therefore heavily reliant on sustainable fishing techniques. It begins its life as a free-swimming zooplankton, growing through several larval stages before reaching its recognizable crab form. It will then begin to inhabit the sea floor and continue to molt until its maturity of about 2 years. Estuarine and bay areas are critically important to this and other coastal species as they act as nurseries for juveniles. According to Seafood Watch, the Dungeness crab is considered a good seafood alternative due to effective management, though recent studies by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have shown that larval crabs in particular are being negatively affected by a rise in ocean acidity. For more about this study, visit NOAA >>

For more about this species, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game >>

Project: Commission for high-end seafood restaurant as part of their sustainability information. Available for re-use
Original: sold

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