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Long-term patterns in the recruitment of juvenile blue crabs Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae) in a small, relatively unimpacted, Mid-Atlantic estuary, New Jersey, USA

Alexandra K Schneider,Paola C. López‐Duarte,K. Able

Published 2025 in Journal of Crustacean Biology

ABSTRACT

Recruitment and abundance of juvenile blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) are associated with multiple abiotic and biotic factors, such as spawning stock abundance, habitat availability, storms, and temperature. Few studies have investigated blue crab recruitment in relatively unimpacted or small Mid-Atlantic estuaries, such as the Mullica River-Great Bay (MR-GB) estuary in New Jersey, USA. The MR-GB ecosystem is rich in structured habitats, but lacks eelgrass, the primary nursery habitat for blue crabs in larger Mid-Atlantic estuaries. We evaluated time-series from three fishery-independent surveys conducted during 1991–2017 in MR-GB: otter trawl, plankton net, and wire mesh trap surveys. Data from these estuarine and coastal ocean surveys were analyzed to 1) compare sex and size class distribution of juveniles and adults along the salinity gradient, 2) describe the seasonality and abundance of juveniles, 3) examine any temporal shifts in seasonality and size class, and 4) assess the relationship between abiotic and biotic factors and juvenile abundance. Adult female crabs were most abundant (77% of the catch) in coastal otter-trawl surveys and had higher abundances in July than September, coinciding with spawning migrations. Most (95%) juveniles collected in the plankton net were small (< 30 mm CW) and their abundance peaked in November; their abundance during the recruitment season was related to adult spawner catch by a Ricker Function, but not associated with any characteristics of storms or rainfall. Abundance of juveniles in wire mesh traps (medium-sized 20-80 mm CW) in May-September was positively associated with warmer winters. Our results indicate that multiple habitats along the estuarine salinity gradient serve as blue crab nurseries in the absence of eelgrass in MR-GB. Our findings emphasize a positive relationship between blue crab recruitment and warmer winters, which are predicted to increase in frequency with climate change.

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