Billions of snow crabs have vanished from the waters around Alaska, and scientists have determined that warmer ocean temperatures are to blame. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducted a study that found a strong correlation between marine heatwaves in the eastern Bering Sea and the sudden disappearance of snow crabs. The study concluded that the crabs likely starved to death due to the disruption caused by warmer waters and decreased food availability. This finding comes as the snow crab harvest season in Alaska has been canceled for the second consecutive year due to the alarming decline in the crab population.
The study’s lead author and fishery biologist at NOAA, Cody Szuwalski, expressed his surprise and concern when the data revealed the significant decrease in snow crabs. Previous concerns about overfishing had been addressed through management measures, but climate change is posing a new challenge to fisheries scientists. The study analyzed possible reasons for the crabs’ disappearance and determined that the increase in mortality rates was most likely due to the crabs being unable to find enough food to meet their increased caloric needs caused by warmer temperatures. Additionally, other species, such as Pacific cod, took advantage of the situation and fed on the remaining crab population during the heatwave.
The disappearance of snow crabs in Alaska is a clear example of how climate change is rapidly affecting marine ecosystems and livelihoods. The rapid loss of sea ice in the Arctic region, particularly in Alaska’s Bering Sea, has been triggered by climate change, leading to amplified global warming. The extreme anomaly in sea ice coverage in 2018 and 2019, with only around 4% of historical coverage, has had a severe impact on the snow crab population. Scientists predict that the population will continue to move northward as the ice recedes, and it is uncertain how much of a presence the crabs will have in the eastern Bering Sea going forward. The findings of this study serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address climate change and its devastating effects on marine life.
