ASSESSING THE STATUS OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S BLUE CRAB (Callinectes sapidus) FISHERY IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE  

In 2014, the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium launched a series of Coastal Research and Extension Study Groups to address issues of immediate concern to South Carolina's fishing industry.  South Carolina's blue crab fishery, with landings valued at $US 6 million dollars, has experienced declining catch per unit effort since an extended period of drought from 1998-2002. Previous studies have explored the link between salinity and blue crab abundance and have observed blue crab, primarily males, migrating well above the regulatory freshwater/saltwater line during periods of drought.  It is unknown, however, whether documented decreases in crab abundance are a result of absence of large crabs or representative of a shift in habitat.  The purpose of the study group was to serve the needs of crabbers and fishery managers by doing the following:

1)      Compiling a state of knowledge report about blue crabs in South Carolina, with particular attention to climatic changes affecting blue crab.

2)      Characterizing the market for South Carolina blue crabs.  

3)      Conducting a potting survey to determine catch per unit effort along a salinity gradient which will fill data gaps from current surveys that do not follow the salinity wedge.

4)      Replicating a recreational crab fishery survey from 1997 to determine current recreational crabbing effort.

Major findings from each aspect of the study will be presented.  The results of this study will provide information on all aspects of South Carolina's blue crab fishery to fishery managers and describe how each sector of the fishery is impacted by a changing climate and identify ways to adapt to anticipated changes.  Results of this study will also be useful to fishery managers throughout the South Atlantic region who are facing similar challenges.