Spatial and vertical distribution of the invasive European green crab in a temperate estuarine system Public Deposited

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http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/undergraduate_thesis_or_projects/bk128c40h

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  • The European green crab, Carcinus maenas, is a generalist predator that has established invasive populations throughout the world, including the west coast of North America. In Oregon, strong cohorts of green crabs recruit only during major El Niño events. The goals of this study are to: 1) compare the abundance and growth of the recent 2014-2015 El Niño cohort to that of the strong 1997-1998 El Niño in Yaquina Bay, Oregon, and 2) explore the spatial and vertical distribution of C. maenas and how it relates to that of the native red rock crab, Cancer productus. An abundance and size distribution similar to the 1997-98 cohort was observed, indicating favorable current patterns and growing conditions brought on by the strong El Niño. We did not find a correlation between the spatial distribution of C. productus and C. maenas, however it is possible that the distribution is related to the dynamics of the bay or microhabitat preference. Our data suggests a negative correlation in the vertical tidal distribution of the two species, supporting the hypothesis that C. productus sets the vertical lower limit of C. maenas. Observations of the interactions of the two species in the same trap support this hypothesis. Future studies should follow the 2015 year class and its effects on the local ecosystems. These data could prove a valuable tool in making predictions on the indirect effects of El Niño or the establishment of a self-sustaining C. maenas population in Yaquina Bay
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  • description.provenance : Submitted by Christopher Lundeberg (lundebec@oregonstate.edu) on 2017-05-11T23:27:20Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1370 bytes, checksum: cd1af5ab51bcc7a5280cf305303530e9 (MD5) LundebergChristopherA2017_2.pdf: 610140 bytes, checksum: 408b8e84181cae9a0730bdfbba271e6a (MD5)
  • description.provenance : Approved for entry into archive by Steven Van Tuyl(steve.vantuyl@oregonstate.edu) on 2017-05-18T21:04:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1370 bytes, checksum: cd1af5ab51bcc7a5280cf305303530e9 (MD5) LundebergChristopherA2017_2.pdf: 610140 bytes, checksum: 408b8e84181cae9a0730bdfbba271e6a (MD5)
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