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Jonah Crabs Rise as Lobster Declines | Providence News
Rhode Island fishermen are cashing in on Jonah crabs—once tossed back as bycatch—now a booming alternative to dwindling lobster stocks. With lobster numbers plummeting from 50 million to under 10 million in two decades, Jonah crabs fill the gap, making up 70-85% of crab catches off Southern New England between 2010 and 2021. Scientists are now investigating whether offshore wind farms, acting like artificial reefs, are boosting local crab populations—or just pulling them from elsewhere. A Ph.D. student is even tagging crabs with isotope analysis to trace their movements, revealing a complex…
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