Movement patterns of the invasive atlantic blue crab in a northeastern atlantic estuary

Encarnação, João Pedro da Silva; Morais, Pedro; Abecasis, David; Martínez Ramírez, Lucas; Barra, Melissa; Baptista, Vânia; Carere, Claudio; Teodosio, Maria

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/27768

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Authors

Encarnação, João Pedro da Silva

Morais, Pedro

Abecasis, David

Martínez Ramírez, Lucas

Abstract(s)

The movement ecology of invasive species discloses critical information to estimate ecological impacts and inform management policies to control their spread. The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896, has successfully invaded coastal and estuarine ecosystems in southern Europe, making it urgent to understand fundamental aspects of its ecology in the non-native range. Recent studies identified key prey species for the Atlantic blue crab and quantified niche overlap with other crab species; however, the areas where the impacts are likely to be greater remain unexplored. Thus, we aim at studying its spatial ecology and assess which areas of a tidal estuary (Guadiana, Portugal) are predominantly used by the invasive Atlantic blue crab through acoustic telemetry. A total of 24 specimens were collected in the estuary in 2022, tagged, and tracked for up to nine months using four acoustic receivers located at 1, 3, 11, and 20 km from the river mouth. Two predominant patterns were observed: 1) movements along the estuary synchronized with the tide, and 2) extended residency periods in the transition between the middle and upper estuary. These findings can now inform policy makers and be used to better design local management plans, namely in upper areas of the Guadiana estuary where the species tends to aggregate, making it easier to be targeted by artisanal fisheries, when compared to coastal areas.