Chesapeake Bay blue crab population remains healthy, but still low

BALTIMORE, MD—The Chesapeake Bay blue crab population remained healthy in 2024, according to the results of a winter dredge survey released Wednesday, but the population is still low. The survey, conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, found 317 million blue crabs in the bay in 2024, compared to 323 million crabs […]

2023 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey shows increase in adult crab population

BALTIMORE, MD—The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), estimates 323 million blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in 2023, an increase from last year’s low of 227 million crabs. The number of spawning age female crabs increased from 97 million crabs […]

2022 Baywide Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey shows lowest abundance observed since 1990

BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced the results of the 2022 Baywide Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), which annually estimates the number of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. The total abundance of blue crab in the Chesapeake Bay in 2022 was 227 million crabs, the […]

Chesapeake Bay blue crab population shows healthy spawning stock

BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday announced the results of the 2020 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, which estimates the number of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay annually. The 2020 results showed that the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population maintains a healthy number of spawning-age female […]