Understanding Dungeness Crab Fishing Dynamics and Rising Whale Entanglements

Understanding Dungeness crab fishing dynamics and rising whale entanglements

Jameal Samhouri and Blake Feist NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center How have California Dungeness crab fishery landings and activity changed over time and across the coast? Office of National Marine Sanctuaries National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

West Coast Region

Ocean Acidification Case Study: Dungeness Crab Data sources How will Ocean Acidification What is Ocean Acidification? Affect Dungeness Crab? Today, rampant burning of fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and Dungeness crab are an abundant and 1. PacFINnatural fish gas, ticketsis releasing tooand much vessel valuable lengths species throughout national carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. marine sanctuaries along the West 2. Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)Coast of thedata United States. NOAA research shows that crabs in their early larval stages are vulnerable to low pH Years: 2009-2016 seawater. Spatial extent: US continental westLife Cycle coast of the Dungeness Crab Molting from one stage to the next and carrying fertilized eggs require a lot of energy, as does dealing with stress from global ocean change. Most Matched fish tickets to VMS locations within a specified time periodvulnerable • Depth stages • Vessel speed • Specified “look back” window Annually, about 25% of human- caused carbon dioxide emissions is absorbed by the ocean, making the ocean’s chemistry more acidic.

NOAA Research Shows Crabs are Vulnerable In lab studies, exposure to lower pH seawater decreases Dungeness crab larval development rates and survival. It also impacts the prey species—such This decrease in ocean pH over as bivalves—which they depend time is called ocean acidification on. Complex modeling projects and it makes it harder for a 41% decline in Dungeness calcifying animals like Dungeness crab biomass and 30% loss in crab to thrive. economic revenue in the next 50 years due to ocean acidfication. http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/oa Representation of the California Dungeness crab

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries fishery in the VMS databaseNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration West Coast Region Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Ocean Acidification Case Study:National DungenessOceanic and Atmospheric Crab Administration West Coast Region How will Ocean Acidification What is Ocean Acidification? OceanAffect Acidification Dungeness Crab?Case Study: Dungeness Crab Today, rampant burning of fossil fuels,Office including of National coal, Marine oil, Sanctuaries and Dungeness crab are an abundant and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration How will Ocean Acidification natural gas, is releasing too much What valuableis Ocean species Acidification? throughout national marine sanctuaries along the West carbonWest dioxideCoast Regioninto the atmosphere. Affect Dungeness Crab? Today,Coast rampant of the burning United of States. fossil NOAA Dungeness crab are an abundant and fuels,Office researchincluding of National shows coal, Marine oil,that Sanctuaries and crabs in their early National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationvaluable species throughout national Ocean Acidification Case naturalStudy:larval gas,Dungeness isstages releasing are vulnerable Crabtoo much to low pH marine sanctuaries along the West carbonWestseawater. dioxideCoast Region into the atmosphere. How will Ocean Acidification Coast of the United States. NOAA What is Ocean Acidification? Affect Dungeness Crab? research shows that crabs in their early OceanLife AcidificationCycle of the Dungeness Case Study: Crab Dungeness Crab Today,Office rampantof National burning Marine Sanctuariesof fossil larval stages are vulnerable to low pH fuels,National including Oceanic coal, and Atmosphericoil, and AdministrationMoltingDungeness from crab one are stage an abundant to the next and seawater.and carrying fertilized eggs require a lot natural gas, is releasing too much ofvaluable energy, species as does throughout dealing with national stressHow from will global Ocean ocean Acidification change. West Coast Region What is Ocean Acidification? carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. marine sanctuaries along the West LifeAffect Cycle Dungeness of the Dungeness Crab? Crab Today,OfficeCoast rampantof National of the burning Marine United Sanctuariesof States. fossil NOAA Most Dungeness crab are an abundantvulnerable and Ocean Acidification Case fuels,Study:National researchincluding DungenessOceanic shows coal, and Atmosphericoil,thatCrab and crabs in Administration their earlyMolting from one stage to the next and carrying fertilized eggs require a lot ofvaluable energy, species as does throughout dealing withstages national stress from global ocean change. naturalWestlarval gas,Coast isstages releasingRegion are vulnerable too much to low pH carbonHowseawater. dioxide will intoOcean the atmosphere.Acidification marine sanctuaries along the West What is Ocean Acidification? Coast of the United States. NOAA Most vulnerable OceanAffect Acidification Dungeness Crab?Case Study:research Dungeness shows thatCrab crabs in their early Today, rampant burning of fossil Life Cycle of the Dungeness Crab stages Annually, about 25% of human- Dungeness crab are an abundant andlarval stages are vulnerable to low pH causedfuels, including carbon dioxide coal, oil, emissions and is Molting from one stage to the next Howand carrying will Ocean fertilized Acidification eggs require a lot What valuableis Ocean species Acidification? throughout nationalseawater. absorbednatural gas, by isthe releasing ocean, making too much the of energy, as does dealing with stressAffect from Dungenessglobal ocean Crab?change. carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. marine sanctuaries along the West ocean’s chemistry more acidic. Today,Coast rampant of the burning United of States. fossil NOAA Annually, about 25% of human- DungenessLife Cycle crabof the are Dungeness an abundantMost Craband fuels, researchincluding shows coal, oil,that and crabs in their early caused carbon dioxide emissions is Moltingvaluable fromspecies one throughout stage to thevulnerable national next and carrying fertilized eggs require a lot naturallarval gas, isstages releasing are vulnerable too much to low pH stages absorbed by the ocean, making the ofmarine energy, sanctuaries as does dealing along the with West stress from global ocean change. carbonseawater. dioxide into the atmosphere. ocean’s chemistry more acidic. Coast of the United States. NOAA Most research shows that crabs in their early Life Cycle of the Dungeness Crab vulnerable larval stages are vulnerable to low pH stages Annually, about 25% of human- seawater. caused carbon dioxide emissions is Molting from one stage to the next and carrying fertilized eggs require a lot absorbed by the ocean, making the of energy, as does dealing with stress from global ocean change. Life Cycle of the Dungeness Crab ocean’s chemistry more acidic. NOAA Research Shows Crabs are Vulnerable Most Annually, about 25% of human- In lab studies, exposure to lower pHMolting seawater from decreases one stage Dungeness to thevulnerable next crab and carrying fertilized eggs require a lot caused carbon dioxide emissions is larval development rates and survival.of energy, It also impactsas does dealingthe prey with stagesspecies—such stress from global ocean change. absorbed by the ocean, making the as bivalves—which they depend This decrease in ocean pH over ocean’s chemistry more acidic. NOAA Research Shows Crabs are Vulnerable Most on. Complex modeling projects time is called ocean acidification In lab studies, exposure to lower pH seawater decreases Dungenessvulnerable crab a 41% decline in Dungeness VMS stages No VMS and it makes it harder for VMS No VMS Annually, about 25% of human- larval development rates and survival. It also impacts the prey species—such crab biomass and 30% loss in calcifying animals like Dungeness as bivalves—which they depend caused carbon dioxide emissions is This decreaseeconomic in revenueocean pH in overthe next 50 crab to thrive. on. Complex modeling projects absorbed by the ocean, making the time isyears called due ocean to ocean acidification acidfication. ocean’s chemistry more acidic. a 41% decline in Dungeness Annually,and it NOAAmakes about it Researchharder 25% of for human- Shows Crabs are Vulnerable calcifying animals like Dungeness crab biomass and 30% loss in http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/oacausedIn carbon lab studies, dioxide exposure emissions to loweris pH seawater decreases Dungeness crab crab to thrive. economic revenue in the next 50 absorbedlarval by developmentthe ocean, making rates andthe survival.years It alsodue toimpacts ocean theacidfication. prey species—such This decrease in ocean pH over ocean’sas chemistry bivalves—which more acidic. they depend NOAA Research Shows Crabs are Vulnerable time is called ocean acidification on. Complex modeling projects http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/oaIn lab studies, exposure to lower pH seawater decreases Dungeness crab and it makes it harder for a 41% decline in Dungeness larval development rates and survival. It also impacts the prey species—such calcifying animals like Dungeness crab biomass and 30% loss in as bivalves—which they depend crab to thrive. This decreaseeconomic in revenueocean pH in overthe next 50 time isyears called due ocean to ocean acidification acidfication. on. Complex modeling58 projects of every 100 tons of 40 of every 100 crab and it NOAAmakes it Researchharder for Shows Crabsa 41% are decline Vulnerable in Dungeness http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/oacalcifyingIn lab animals studies, like exposure Dungeness to lower pHcrab seawater biomass decreases and 30% Dungeness loss in crab crab tolarval thrive. development rates and survival.economic It also impactsrevenue thein the prey next species—such 50 This decrease in ocean pH over as bivalves—which they depend yearsNOAA due Research to ocean acidfication. Shows Crabs are Vulnerable on. Complex modeling projects time is called ocean acidification In lab studies, exposure to lower pH seawater decreases Dungeness crab a 41% decline in Dungeness and it makes it harder for http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/oalarval development rates and survival.crab It also impacts the prey species—such landed in CA boats in CA has VMS calcifying animals like Dungeness crab biomass and 30% loss in as bivalves—which they depend This decreaseeconomic in revenueocean pH in overthe next 50 crab to thrive. on. Complex modeling projects time isyears called due ocean to ocean acidification acidfication. and it makes it harder for a 41% decline in Dungeness calcifying animals like Dungeness crab biomass and 30% loss in http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/oacrab to thrive. economic revenue in the next 50 years due to ocean acidfication. come from a boat http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/oa with VMS Clear decline in Dungeness crab landings in CA starting with the 2013/14 season, especially during domoic acid related closure in the 2015/16 season

North: 23 week delay to May 12 South: 19 week delay to Mar 26

PacFIN Landings Database 2009-2016 In California Dungeness crab vessels of different sizes show similar trends

North: 23 week delay to May 12 South: 19 week delay to Mar 26

PacFIN Landings Database 2009-2016 # Becker et al. In Prep Dungeness fishing activity (PacFIN informed VMS) over time Looking forward: potential applications 1. How to minimize economic losses to the Dungeness crab fishery while addressing the rise in whale entanglements? 2. What management options are most desirable? 3. What are your experiences on the water and what are we not seeing in the PacFIN and VMS databases?

Holsman, Samhouri et al. 2017 Ideas and questions?