Life Sciences Commons^™

Recruitment Of Blue Crab, Callinectes Sapidus, Postlarvae To The Back-Barrier Lagoons Of Virginia's Eastern Shore, Robert D. Brumbaugh

OES Theses and Dissertations

Most research on the early life history of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, has been conducted in large partially stratified estuaries such as the Chesapeake Bay. In contrast, little is known about the recruitment dynamics or habitat requirements of blue crab postlarvae (megalopae) in shallow well-mixed lagoonal systems that make up a considerable part of the species' range. In Virginia's coastal lagoons, planktonic blue crab megalopae are most abundant at night on flooding tides, and are not abundant during the daytime or on ebbing tides. This appears to enhance retention within the lagoons, despite the short residence time of water …