Bitter Crab Disease Rates Quadruple in Bering Sea Crabs

[{"selector":"#anim-1851acf9-7493-4d7c-83e7-fb82fb9c7717","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9fe4f39f-85e9-4340-9c13-0e49d2adfe0d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.55696%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-73122c64-0ccf-4dc8-9013-73e5bbe08fc8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ba4827ed-53b1-43f6-a7f1-82667bd29e4c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.3301%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Bitter Crab Disease Rates Quadruple in Bering Sea Crabs Govind Tekale

New genetic methods detect bitter crab disease earlier in Bering Sea crabs, showing infection rates four times higher than old visual checks.

[{"selector":"#anim-1a9ab156-7f0e-4719-9711-d94272f12739","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b19fc551-df20-41cc-a160-e463955d31ee","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe052787-5e99-4f4e-b364-b725ef36a1ba","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-127a8e58-dea5-432c-b196-ae6b8f2dbc0c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3127dfb1-7905-4f47-8d01-fc18211dbbe0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: ZEISS MICROSCOPY (Flickr)

Snow crab disease rates hit 36% while Tanner crabs reached 42%, far above the previous 10% estimate from visual inspections.

[{"selector":"#anim-4ba49ac2-a908-4ce3-81fa-416392114d3c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-62595ed2-8cfe-487d-b097-255c7dda201d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 194.01709%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d58c912f-e438-4b02-84aa-bb451babd901","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7b241730-9e5c-4dce-90e2-76ca8bc2d276","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -113.77639%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-801efe58-7249-4927-a004-2d0000c863e6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source : MIT OpenCourseWare (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Infected crabs develop red-pink shells and milky-white blood, making their meat taste bitter and unmarketable.

[{"selector":"#anim-d26a9fc6-ba27-4028-ae36-ecb243cc7e9e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fdbc1cb7-285d-4d0c-a0c1-b7dd8c1abb86","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-25642b9a-5f2d-4a99-be84-aa356c8d6fb5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-359e0fac-35a6-4ad9-b798-918ff6148345","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.60759%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0037dfd9-1c8e-4382-8a68-f0e523a944d2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: itoldya (CC0 1.0)

Young crabs face the highest risk, with over 50% infection rates in smaller sizes, while female snow crabs show increased vulnerability.

[{"selector":"#anim-566ccae5-75a2-4d1b-92da-645730ee23c0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-95de7ea0-db6f-4e7f-b4dc-9f36b0937588","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 194.01709%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-593bedee-62c7-43a4-9554-5a01d797f02c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0eaeaa2b-ab36-4d29-86a3-1d9f922297a7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7325710d-9c98-4fc4-85c5-dd60a0c30384","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Cooking Software Oz (Flickr)

Disease spread jumped 10% yearly from 2015-2017, leading to the first-ever snow crab fishery closure in 2022.

[{"selector":"#anim-72d5575f-3437-4500-8984-36f984195776","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-80699d79-01a9-4381-87a2-e37cd5ddefff","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b820c696-f17a-4a82-ad7e-e332534482d7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-318e7887-611c-4cb7-8ae4-ed29ed20d8be","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-beb38123-521e-4936-84f0-19e1431a51ea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Alvin Loh (Flickr)

Crab fisheries hit $250 million peak value in 2021 before disease collapse forced Alaska to request federal disaster aid.

[{"selector":"#anim-27e98168-703d-4af3-a27a-c6b414ee97b0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4d1ab199-90bc-458f-9f42-0caf907d6e6f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 249.72502%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de5fcf9f-b31d-4631-aafe-d789fccdba2d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-817d85d0-b991-43b6-9aa3-6262c051ce0b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-71b15201-309d-4fd0-812b-5c81d023d090","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Nathanbrend (Flickr)

Scientists now use genetic detection to forecast outbreaks and guide recovery of snow crab populations in the Bering Sea.

[{"selector":"#anim-3f349ede-20bd-4340-ba23-1e0c6efdf2fa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-08944cd1-42ba-4776-9404-5624ab3ac916","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 124.43200%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-901c7716-b559-4424-800b-833e7c6906b0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-13f8259c-c984-4197-bb4e-c81d8db17d76","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3c2bd1df-8749-4620-ab2a-ecf98d648d48","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: National Human Genome Research Institute (PDM 1.0)

NOAA research explores how environmental factors affect disease spread while monitoring crab populations during rebuilding.

[{"selector":"#anim-f6009c1f-1e9d-4163-9214-aa2bd0c1fe68","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e844bee7-928c-45e9-a1b6-e465062417dc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 194.78631%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-06ad7298-14ba-4258-992d-87df7dea2185","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-85f6a614-8928-404b-86a8-44b44c069e89","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -129.25497%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-feb047a9-01f2-4023-97af-06e37eb75409","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: NOAA’s National Ocean Service (CC BY 2.0)

[{"selector":"#anim-54efc229-4e2c-4945-b615-eabe42ed80ad","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0f071ae0-4b3b-4e50-85c8-20a0e651af5a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-63d4e4f8-d8f0-4a9c-800d-0078fac42819","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b700a95d-99cf-4bac-809f-d53a2b53de21","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7881aac9-9c0f-44a7-8a6d-6702573bb627","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.23810%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Google's Geothermal Initiative in Australia Learn more