Technical Report
 

Evaluating the population genetic structure of Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) off the Oregon coast

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Abstract
  • Despite the high economic and social value of Dungeness crab, no stock assessment work has been conducted on coastal Dungeness crab populations in Oregon. The fishery is currently managed based on a sex, size, and season strategy (e.g. males of a minimum size fished during specified months). It is estimated that a majority of all legal-sized male crabs (typically one or two year classes) are captured annually in the fishery, but studies suggest this does not cause into decreased mating success for females (Hankin et al. 1997). The fishery is assumed to be stable given the long term trends in commercial landings. While there is no evidence to suggest an immediate threat of fisheries collapse, there is, however, increasing interest to collect more biological data to better understand this species life history. For instance, the Oregon Nearshore Strategy Report (ONS)(2006) recommended the development of Figure 1. Landings (millions of lbs) per Dungeness crab season compared to the 10 year average. Figure 2. Pots declared by year in the Oregon Dungeness crab fishery. Boat pot limits were implemented in the 2006-07 crab season. 4 conservation and harvest plans for both commercially and recreationally harvested shellfish to ensure sustainable management of Oregon’s shellfish. The recent Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of Oregon Dungeness crab also identified important information gaps concerning the fishery that are required to be fulfilled within a five year period in order to retain certification. In response to these developments, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) developed the Oregon Dungeness Crab Research and Monitoring Plan (2013). As the resource management agency, ODFW is currently working to help fill the information gaps identified through the MSC certification process as well as in the ONS report. The new ODFW plan outlines historical and current biological, ecological and socio-economic research and monitoring efforts on the Oregon Dungeness crab resource and future plans to address information gaps in each of these areas. This study was initiated to contribute to the biological (i.e stock structure) and soci-economic (i.e spatial planning) research efforts identified in the new ODFW plan. The goal of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of Dungeness crab off the Oregon coast and provide baseline data that could be used to help inform decisions on marine spatial planning. From a conservation and management standpoint, it is critical to determine the population genetic structure and genetic diversity within subpopulations to ensure the long term viability of a species.
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  • O'Malley, K. & C. Roegner. [2014] Evaluating the population genetic structure of Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) off the Oregon coast. Portland : OWET. 20 pp.
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  • 1. Introduction; 2. Motivation for Study; 3. Methods; 4. Results; 5. Discussion and Conclusions; 6. Future Research; 7. Acknowledgement; 8. References
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  • Oregon Wave Energy Trust and the OSU Libraries cooperate to provide long-term access to OWET reports. OSU's ScholarsArchive is the digital repository for continual access to the report. The OWET website, http://www.oregonwave.org, provides immediate access to OWET funded reports.
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