A field-based investigation of behavioural interactions between invasive green crab (Carcinus maenas), rock crab (Cancer irroratus), and American lobster (Homarus americanus) in southern Newfoundland
Marine species invasions pose a global threat to native biodiversity and commercial fisheries. The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is one of the most successful marine invaders worldwide and has, in the last decade, invaded the southern and western coastal waters of the island of Newfoundland,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2020-02-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/8444.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797421845526347776 |
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| author | Nicola Zargarpour Cynthia H. McKenzie Brett Favaro |
| author_facet | Nicola Zargarpour Cynthia H. McKenzie Brett Favaro |
| author_sort | Nicola Zargarpour |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Marine species invasions pose a global threat to native biodiversity and commercial fisheries. The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is one of the most successful marine invaders worldwide and has, in the last decade, invaded the southern and western coastal waters of the island of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada. Impacts of green crab on the American lobster (Homarus americanus), which are native to Newfoundland, are not well understood, particularly for interactions around deployed fishing gear. Declines in lobster catch rates in invaded systems (i.e., Placentia Bay, NL), have prompted concerns among lobster fishers that green crab are interfering with lobster catch. Here, we conducted a field experiment in a recently-invaded bay (2013) in which we deployed lobster traps pre-stocked with green crab, native rock crab (Cancer irroratus) (a procedural control), or empty (control). We compared catch per unit effort across each category, and used underwater cameras to directly observe trap performance in situ. In addition, we used SCUBA surveys to determine the correlation between ambient density of lobster and green crab in the ecosystem and the catch processes of lobster in traps. We found: (1) Regardless of the species of crab stocked, crab presence reduced the total number of lobster that attempted to enter the trap, and also reduced entry success rate, (2) lobster consumed green crab, rock crab and other lobster inside traps and (3) there was a positive association between lobster catch and ambient lobster density. Our results suggest that while there was a relationship between in-trap crab density and trap catch rates, it was not linked to the non-native/native status of the crab species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:23:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d196257136534d74b1acb56f8eeb0413 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:23:21Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-d196257136534d74b1acb56f8eeb04132023-12-03T07:12:54ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592020-02-018e844410.7717/peerj.8444A field-based investigation of behavioural interactions between invasive green crab (Carcinus maenas), rock crab (Cancer irroratus), and American lobster (Homarus americanus) in southern NewfoundlandNicola Zargarpour0Cynthia H. McKenzie1Brett Favaro2Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Resources, Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, CanadaDepartment of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, CanadaCentre for Sustainable Aquatic Resources, Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, CanadaMarine species invasions pose a global threat to native biodiversity and commercial fisheries. The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is one of the most successful marine invaders worldwide and has, in the last decade, invaded the southern and western coastal waters of the island of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada. Impacts of green crab on the American lobster (Homarus americanus), which are native to Newfoundland, are not well understood, particularly for interactions around deployed fishing gear. Declines in lobster catch rates in invaded systems (i.e., Placentia Bay, NL), have prompted concerns among lobster fishers that green crab are interfering with lobster catch. Here, we conducted a field experiment in a recently-invaded bay (2013) in which we deployed lobster traps pre-stocked with green crab, native rock crab (Cancer irroratus) (a procedural control), or empty (control). We compared catch per unit effort across each category, and used underwater cameras to directly observe trap performance in situ. In addition, we used SCUBA surveys to determine the correlation between ambient density of lobster and green crab in the ecosystem and the catch processes of lobster in traps. We found: (1) Regardless of the species of crab stocked, crab presence reduced the total number of lobster that attempted to enter the trap, and also reduced entry success rate, (2) lobster consumed green crab, rock crab and other lobster inside traps and (3) there was a positive association between lobster catch and ambient lobster density. Our results suggest that while there was a relationship between in-trap crab density and trap catch rates, it was not linked to the non-native/native status of the crab species.https://peerj.com/articles/8444.pdfUnderwater camerasCatchabilityGreen shore crabAmerican lobsterCrustaceanInvasive species |
| spellingShingle | Nicola Zargarpour Cynthia H. McKenzie Brett Favaro A field-based investigation of behavioural interactions between invasive green crab (Carcinus maenas), rock crab (Cancer irroratus), and American lobster (Homarus americanus) in southern Newfoundland PeerJ Underwater cameras Catchability Green shore crab American lobster Crustacean Invasive species |
| title | A field-based investigation of behavioural interactions between invasive green crab (Carcinus maenas), rock crab (Cancer irroratus), and American lobster (Homarus americanus) in southern Newfoundland |
| title_full | A field-based investigation of behavioural interactions between invasive green crab (Carcinus maenas), rock crab (Cancer irroratus), and American lobster (Homarus americanus) in southern Newfoundland |
| title_fullStr | A field-based investigation of behavioural interactions between invasive green crab (Carcinus maenas), rock crab (Cancer irroratus), and American lobster (Homarus americanus) in southern Newfoundland |
| title_full_unstemmed | A field-based investigation of behavioural interactions between invasive green crab (Carcinus maenas), rock crab (Cancer irroratus), and American lobster (Homarus americanus) in southern Newfoundland |
| title_short | A field-based investigation of behavioural interactions between invasive green crab (Carcinus maenas), rock crab (Cancer irroratus), and American lobster (Homarus americanus) in southern Newfoundland |
| title_sort | field based investigation of behavioural interactions between invasive green crab carcinus maenas rock crab cancer irroratus and american lobster homarus americanus in southern newfoundland |
| topic | Underwater cameras Catchability Green shore crab American lobster Crustacean Invasive species |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/8444.pdf |
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