Tagged blue crabs

[keakar]

when releasing crabs after tagging, is it best to spread them around or put them back right where they are caught?

I ask because, if caught in relatively confined areas, I wouldn't think they would go anywhere other then that area.

also, to be honest, how far do crabs go in general? aren't they pretty much sedentary creatures?

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by keakar

when releasing crabs after tagging, is it best to spread them around or put them back right where they are caught?

I ask because, if caught in relatively confined areas, I wouldn't think they would go anywhere other then that area.

also, to be honest, how far do crabs go in general? aren't they pretty much sedentary creatures?

Bruh, just throw it in the cooler or place it back where you caught it They are tracking movements. If you place it somewhere else after you catch it, that isn't natural

[NichollsCrabTags]

Originally Posted by keakar

when releasing crabs after tagging, is it best to spread them around or put them back right where they are caught?

I ask because, if caught in relatively confined areas, I wouldn't think they would go anywhere other then that area.

also, to be honest, how far do crabs go in general? aren't they pretty much sedentary creatures?

We are trying to release the crabs close to where they were caught, at least within a quarter mile or so. We're trying not to move them artificially, so to just drop them back where they came from.

Females can actually migrate over 2 miles a day when they are on their way offshore to spawn, so when they want to move they can go a long way. This is part of what we're trying to look at with this study- how far do they move, when do they move, and where are they going?