O’Maine Studios 54 Danforth St. Portland, ME Fishery and market development to mitigate the impacts of an invasive species Green Crab Working Summit 2018 Agenda Welcome to the ‘Inaugural’ Green Crab Working Summit! The East Coast wave of the green crab invasion occurred 200 years ago and they have since firmly established themselves from New England to Prince Edward Island, Canada, wreaking ecological and economic havoc along the way. We are not the first to research and propose solutions to reign in these nuisance crustaceans, in fact some of the ideas and work being presented and discussed over the next several days have been proposed or attempted in the past. However, in the years since people have been investigating this problem, not one, long- term, lucrative, eco-beneficial and viable mitigation/control plan has actually been truly successful at achieving this. There are many reasons for this, including lack of funding, processing capabilities, technology and perseverance. Green crabs are successful invaders because they possess many biological and physiological properties that allow them to exploit diverse habitats, withstand broad ranges in temperature and salinity, as well as the ability to survive out of water and without eating for extensive periods. Along with few natural predators and high fecundity, green crabs are very likely the ‘model’ invasive species that have gone unchecked for too long. However, the time to finally get a handle on this invasive crustacean appears to have arrived. The combination of warming ocean temperatures, increasing regulations on wild harvest fisheries, fish populations at historically low levels, as well as continued demand for fresh, local seafood and continued devastation of shellfish fisheries and estuarine and coastal habitats by these crustaceans, has led to the perfect confluence of factors driving the need for population control while also developing diverse uses and markets for this nutritious and abundant crab that happens to be an invasive species. Controlling green crabs populations has the potential to positively impact shellfish fisheries through reduced predation, create new economic opportunity for fishermen, bring a new, local and abundant seafood product to the region, AND restore biodiversity and critical estuarine, marsh and coastal ecosystems. The possible uses and products from green crabs that have high market potential are many, and their development and manufacture are critical. The time to develop and investigate in these products is now, and it is why we decided to put together this summit. We want to bring all stakeholders to the table and see what we can learn from each other that will be helpful, feasible and ultimately successful in mitigating this nuisance species. Let’s use our broad and vast expertise to explore, develop and expand markets, biocontrol methods and the potential of a green crab ‘Fishery’. LET’S DO THIS! Sincerely, The Steering Committee Dr. Marissa McMahan (Co-lead, Manomet, Inc.) Dr. Gabriela Bradt (Co-lead, New Hampshire Sea Grant and UNH Cooperative Extension) Mary Parks (Green Crab R&D Project) Roger Warner (Green Crab R&D Project) Green Crab Working Summit 2018 Agenda June 6th: 8:00-8:30 Welcome/registration 8:30-8:45 Intro remarks Session 1: Population monitoring/ecological impacts 8:45-9:00 Understanding Green Crab Population Dynamics: Results of Systematic Green Crab Trapping in Freeport – Brian Beal 9:00-9:15 Green Crabs and Soft-Shell Clams: Results from Large-Scale Field Studies Examining Measures to Mitigate Predator Effects on Clam Survival and Growth – Sara Randall 9:15-9:30 Measuring Impacts of Invasive European Green Crabs on Maine Salt Marshes: A Novel Approach – Jeremy Miller 9:30-9:45 Coastal Restoration in Nova Scotia: Resilience to an Invasive Species – Gabrielle Beaulieu 9:45-10:00 Break 10:00-10:15 Attributes of the European Green Crab (Carcinus maenas), a Nonindigenous Species In Massachusetts, USA – Jimmy Elliot 10:15-10:30 Interaction between Carcinus and Hemigrapsus – Chris Baillie 10:30-10:35 Intro to panel 10:35-11:00 Panel Discussion 11:00-11:15 Break Session 2: Green crab products 11:15-11:30 Food Chain– Roger Warner 11:30-11:45 The use of green crab extract as a food supplement, and as Bait, for commercially important invertebrates – Steve Jury 11:45-12:00 Green Crab Uni Extraction: Maintaining the true form- Jamie Bassett 12:00-12:15 Bait to Delicacy: Navigating and Redefining the Green Crab Market – Mary Parks 12:15-1:30 Lunch 1:30-1:45 Toward Full Utilization of the Green Crab Biomass: Food and Feed Ingredients -Denise Skonberg 1:45-2:00 Potential Health Benefits of Green Crab Peptides Produced with Commercial Enzymes- Bouhee Kang 2:00-2:05 Intro to panel 2:05-2:30 Panel Discussion 2:30-2:45 Break Green Crab Working Summit 2018 Agenda Session 3: Soft-shell crab 2:45-3:00 Soft-shell green crab production: adapting traditional Venetian production techniques – Jonathan Taggart 3:00-3:15 Investigating the viability of a soft-shell green crab industry in New England – Marissa McMahan 3:15-3:30 Determining peak molting periods for European green crabs in New Hampshire – Gabriela Bradt 3:30-3:45 Soft-Shell Green Crab in Prince Edward Island: New Strategies and Techniques – Luke Poirier 3:45-3:50 Intro to panel 3:50-4:20 Panel Discussion 4:20-4:30 Concluding remarks, orientation to reception 4:30-7:00 Cocktail reception, posters, gear demos, cooking and tasting Poster Session o Green invaders: Early-life stages of the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) in a southern Maine estuary – Blair Morrison o Using Green Crab to Produce Nutritious Dog Treats – Angela Myracle o Population Trends of the Invasive Green Crab in Great Marsh, Massachusetts- Alyssa Novak o Using Citizen Science to determine hotspots and distribution of European Green Crabs in New Hampshire – Gabriela Bradt o Green crab culinary uses – Marissa McMahan o Green crab outreach and education – Marissa McMahan June 7th: 8:30-8:45 Welcome/Intro Remarks 8:45- 9:30 Breakout groups I o Monitoring protocols/mitigation methods o Bait fishery and markets o Connecting fishers with wholesalers 9:30-9:50 West Bath Elementary presents green crab outreach and education 9:50-10:00 Break 10:00-11:00 Breakout groups II o Culinary group o Outreach, education and citizen science o Pre-molt crab identification and obstacles soft-shell fishery development o Roe extraction demo 11:00-11:15 Themes identified from meeting, next steps, discussion 11:15-11:30 Concluding remarks Abstracts Oral Presentations Population monitoring/ecological impacts Understanding Green Crab Population Dynamics: Results of Systematic Green Crab Trapping in Freeport. Dr. Brian Beal (University of Maine at Machias and Downeast Institute), Sara Randall (Downeast Institute), Chad Coffin (Maine Clammers Association), Clinton Goodenow Jr. (Maine Clammers Association) In 2014 and 2015 the Downeast Institute conducted systematic green crab trapping at 10-12 locations in the Harraseeket River — a highly productive clamming area — from May 1 through September/October. Researchers hauled 50-60 specially designed green crab traps three times a week (2014) or every 4 days (2015). The crabs that were caught were counted and measured to determine spatial and temporal variability in abundance, size-frequency distribution, sex ratios, best trap soak times, and bait preferences. DEI’s trapping program followed a volunteer trapping initiative by the Freeport Shellfish Conservation Commission in 2013, and these results combined with the 2014 and 2015 trapping data show the connection to warming ocean water as crab densities increased with water temperature through the summer and fall, especially in the intertidal zone, and crabs were bigger after warmer vs. colder winters. Results indicate that it is not possible to reduce green crab populations locally through trapping in open systems, including rivers, and that green crabs should be thought of as part of the permanent inhabitants of the marine coastal environment. Green Crabs and Soft-Shell Clams: Results from Large-Scale Field Studies Examining Measures to Mitigate Predator Effects on Clam Survival and Growth. Sara Randall (Downeast Institute), Dr. Brian Beal (University of Maine at Machias and Downeast Institute), Chad Coffin (Maine Clammers Association), Clinton Goodenow Jr. (Maine Clammers Association), Kyle Pepperman (Downeast Institute),Bennett Ellis (Downeast Institute), Cody Jouret (Downeast Institute), George Protopopescu (Downeast Institute), Justin Lewis (Downeast Institute) In the past decade soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria, landings in Casco Bay communities have declined dramatically by nearly 70%. To determine the cause of the clam decline, from 2014-2017 the Downeast Institute, in collaboration with the Maine Clammers Association, conducted the largest intertidal field research project in the history of the state. Experiments were conducted at 78 field sites, with 2 years of green crab trapping, and the operation of 2 large upwellers to produce soft-shell clams for the experiments. The effort tested the effectiveness of different methods to protect shellfish from green crabs and other predators. At the end of the field season for each experiment, clam survival and growth were measured. Major findings showed that predation is the most important factor regulating soft-shell clam populations and up to 99% of settling clams are being lost to clam predators from flats each year. Measuring Impacts of Invasive European Green Crabs on Maine Salt Marshes: A Novel Approach. Jeremy Miller, Jason Goldstein (Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, Maine Coastal Ecology Center), Tyler Allen (Saint Joseph’s College, Biology Department), and Kristin Wilson-Grimes (University of the Virgin Islands, College of Science and Mathematics) Invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) populations have exploded state-wide and threaten Maine’s valuable coastal resources, including soft-shell clam flats, sub-tidal eel grass beds, and salt marshes.