Trapping efforts continue in high numbers at Graveyard Spit on the Dungeness Spit as federal and state resource managers continue to find the invasive European green crab.

As of May 23, crews have captured 64 crabs — 41 males and 23 females. The previous count was 60 crabs as of May 18.

Scientists across the globe regard the European green crab, which is identifiable by its five spines on each side of its eyes, as one of the worst invasive species on Earth. It’s been blamed by industry officials in the northeastern U.S. for severely damaging shellfish harvests and seagrass beds.

Crews at the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge first found a few green crabs April 13 and now it is the largest population reported so far in Washington.

In early May, local resource managers placed 100-plus traps along the Dungeness Spit but the crabs continue to be found in a lagoon in Graveyard Spit across from Dungeness Landing near Sequim.

Containing the European green crab falls under the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Aquatic Invasive Species team led by program coordinator Allen Pleus.

He said they plan to keep intensively trapping again this week through Friday.

“We are trying different trapping techniques to see if we’re missing ones that are not attracted to the bait,” Pleus said. “If the numbers continue to decline, we will assess whether to reduce the trapping schedule for June and rest of summer.”

Pleus said his team and staff continue to share equipment and personnel for trapping volunteers at the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge through the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service.

Of the 100-plus traps, more than 80 came from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pleus said, and his staff visit regularly to help set, check and retrieve the traps.

He said the collaboration has been great and they “could not ask for better partners and support by the local stakeholders.”

Lorenz Sollmann, deputy project leader at the Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, said volunteers and staff at the refuge have been “critical in providing assistance to make this project happen. They have helped cut bait and repair traps prior to the trapping season and in the field carrying, baiting, setting up and checking traps,” he said.

Pleus said Fish and Wildlife staff continue to partner with Washington Sea Grant’s Crab Team for trapping strategies and working with stakeholders about filling early detection monitoring gaps and conducting exploratory trappings in other high risk locations.

While Fish and Wildlife staff have performed monthly early detection monitoring since 2001, Pleus said, Crab Team staff members’ advice to move traps to a new location led them to find the first green crab in April.

The Crab Team maintains an early detection monitoring network of 41 sites with more than 170 volunteers.

Their staff identified some sites they hope to work with property owners to explore early detection monitoring options for green crab including the Hoko River, Clallam River, Pysht River and Port Angeles lagoon.

Where the crabs are coming from is unknown at this point, but Crab Team staff said in early May that the crabs may be coming from several points including Vancouver Island, Oregon, other parts of Washington or Sooke Basin because of their distance and/or the temperatures of those areas. Some green crabs were sent to scientists in May to determine where the crabs may have come from.

Sollmann said they’ve found four moltings so far, which Crab Team staff indicates a crab could be ready to mate.

Female green crab can release up to 500,000 larvae per brood at least once a year, Crab Team staff said, and some larvae can travel upward of 100 kilometers or about 62 miles.

For more resources on identifying the green crab, places to look and/or volunteering, visit wsg.washington.edu/crabteam. For those who may have found a green crab, send photographs and location to the Crab Team at crabteam@uw.edu.

More than 100 traps have been placed on Dungeness Spit to capture European green crab, considered one of the worst invasive species on the planet by scientists. Photo courtesy of Lorenz Sollmann/ USFWS

Resource managers say there are more than 100 traps out on the Dungeness Spit for the European green crab, an invasive species. So far the crabs have only been caught at Graveyard Spit. Sequim Gazette file photo by Matthew Nash