Tagged Crabs in NC

[ZackDarnell]

Hi everyone,

I'm a graduate student at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort and am currently conducting a tagging study to monitor movements of female blue crabs. I've been tagging crabs in the North River, South River, and Adams Creek. As of this posting, I've tagged around 2000. I plan to tag through the end of October, then pick up again in the spring. I'm attaching a flyer showing pictures of the tags used. I'm mainly using the orange tags on the right- the tags on the left were only used briefly in the area around the lab here.

If any of you happen to catch one of my tagged crabs, please help me out by reporting the info. You can either call the number listed on the tag and flyer (which rings to my office), email me ([email protected]), or send me a message on here. I'm paying a $5 reward for each crab I get info on.

I really appreciate the help and I'm happy to answer any questions about the project.
-Zack

[genecrabman]

How much did you get from Sea Grant?

[genecrabman]

Here on the Outer Banks,most crabs that got tagged and released,were caught within a week. Lynn Henry did a lot of studies in our area, he might help with some ideas....LOL on you effort......

[69Camaro]

Some lucky waterman might be $10,000 richer if he catches them all in his pots.

[genecrabman]

If I can only get some GPS numbers, I'm there

[ZackDarnell]

Here on the Outer Banks,most crabs that got tagged and released,were caught within a week. Lynn Henry did a lot of studies in our area, he might help with some ideas....LOL on you effort......

Many of my crabs were also caught pretty quick after the initial release. However, many of those were re-released as they were caught by crabbers who are working with me on the project.

[ZackDarnell]

Also, I'm aware of the numerous female tagging studies already done, both in NC and elsewhere. The goal of this project is to better understand the movements of female crabs between their terminal molt and their first sponge. All the crabs tagged were still a little soft, so within ~2 weeks after their molt.

[genecrabman]

How much did you get from Sea Grant?

If you need help I'm available....

[SHELLFISH]

Zack, That sounds like a real interesting study and I wish you the best with the results.

The biggest problem you'll encounter with your study is having to write up the results later!

That was always the worst part for me!   Good luck

[tattoo]

best of luck with your project. 

[horsefly]

Why not tag and release  the crabs  where there isn't any crab pots. It seems to be a waste of time (amd money) to tag/ release/ and catch again the same stinking crab that hasn't moved but maybe a 5 miles. There is a reason the girls move into the rivers(I am on the Pamlico) This year due to the lack of rain, the water was super salty (high salinty) that caused a big influx of the girls (sooks) and juvenile crabs to move up stream, forcing males further into hiding(out of commercial gear range) What a good study would be of is, sponge crabs and when and where they go. Maybe then the state could place a no pot zone/trawl zone in known spawn/or high sponge crab areas. My opinion is the males are just important. Why not do a study on them, and see by using different methods and different areas you coud catch them again. My point would be, maybe to open areas now closed to commercial gear for a short period of time (say June 15th to Sept 1st) it is a well known fact that most jimmies, after reaching a certain age(my guess 3) get tired of chasing the females and look for a place to settle down and feed etc, and stay out of the salty water........then die peacefully around 5. Using the info you find and opening those areas migh would put some wind back into some of the commercial fishermens sails(as they are a dying breed) Hmmm, maybe we should tag them too, I am going to apply for a grant to study the human commercial fishermen, on the brink of sucide. Look, the DMF has already been opening no-pot zones bbecause of the lack of day time haul-netters, and the lack of certain speices IE; speckle trout and weakfish. The list goes on and the above is IMHO. SERIOUSLY, IF YOU NEED HELP BMAIL ME A MESSAGE I 'll do whatever ya need. Genecrabman might would too he's been doing this as well all of his life.

[ZackDarnell]

Why not tag and release  the crabs  where there isn't any crab pots. It seems to be a waste of time (amd money) to tag/ release/ and catch again the same stinking crab that hasn't moved but maybe a 5 miles.

I agree. We've spent a lot of money on rewards for crabs that have hardly moved! But I do the tagging with some commercial crabbers and release them where they were tagged, so unless I was to release them somewhere else, I'm limited to releasing them in areas with crab pots. All my tagging areas have a relatively low density of crab pots though. There is only 1 crabber in North River right now (that  I am aware of). South River and Adams Creek are pretty low-density, too. At least this year, with it being so dry.

What a good study would be of is, sponge crabs and when and where they go. Maybe then the state could place a no pot zone/trawl zone in known spawn/or high sponge crab areas.

I agree completely, and am working on sponge crab movements, too. My dissertation is on movements of female blue crabs from terminal molt to death- this tagging study is just a small part.

My opinion is the males are just important. Why not do a study on them, and see by using different methods and different areas you coud catch them again. My point would be, maybe to open areas now closed to commercial gear for a short period of time (say June 15th to Sept 1st) it is a well known fact that most jimmies, after reaching a certain age(my guess 3) get tired of chasing the females and look for a place to settle down and feed etc, and stay out of the salty water........then die peacefully around 5. Using the info you find and opening those areas migh would put some wind back into some of the commercial fishermens sails(as they are a dying breed)

Also good thoughts. Unfortunately though, I'm trying to graduate sometime this decade, so I can't do everything I'd like to. 

[horsefly]

pass the info down to someone else trying to finish up and looking for a goal. Just make sure he/she has NC fisheries in mind as we here have one of the most unique estuaries on the east coast. Actually I thought my ideas wouldn't have been to big of a case load. We volunteer, does that help?

[ZackDarnell]

pass the info down to someone else trying to finish up and looking for a goal. Just make sure he/she has NC fisheries in mind as we here have one of the most unique estuaries on the east coast. Actually I thought my ideas wouldn't have been to big of a case load. We volunteer, does that help?

Will do. We are actually starting to think about projects for next year, so I'll put some thought into the things you mentioned. And yes, volunteers definitely help! 

[cullenw08]

good work zach! i hope to hear more about your progress through out the study and maybe you would even post your findings. Best of luck to you!

[genecrabman]

Anyone heard from Zack??

[flounderpounder]

when the crab molts  does the tag fall off with the old shell? does it kill them if they can't shed because a strap is around them??

[jack1747]

They are Sooks.. They don't shed anymore.  (or I should say rarely rarely ever)

[flounderpounder]

sorry , forgot about that

[coastman]

Now that sounds like interesting research. Good luck on your research project. Here is Georgia the research indicated tagged redfish usually stayed in the sound where they were tagged. Each Georgia sound had its own resident redfish population.  This study is still an ongoing project. In Wasaw Sound the state DNR released fingerling redfish to track their movement and growth. This is a five year project. I wish our DNR would do a crab tag research project. We have the University of Georgia's marine research center on Sapelo Island. This island has Sapelo Sound on it northern tip and Doboy Sound on it Southern tip. I am unaware of a crab tagging program here in Georgia.