Grays Harbor County
Ocean Shores, WA
Molt Search Report
User Submitted Data
Observation Type: Opportunistic observation
Molts/crabs found: Yes
European green crabs found: Yes
Number of European green crab molts found: 1
Green crab #1
Condition of European green crab #1: Dead
Sex of European green crab #1: Male
Tidal Overview
1 hours 56 minutes after high tide
Data from Westport, Point Chehalis (3.6 miles away)
Water Level (at time of report): 4:39 pm, 7' MLLW
High Tide (Predicted): 2:42 pm, 9.4' MLLW
High Tide (Observed): 2:48 pm, 9.8' MLLW
Loading NOAA Tide Data…
■ Observed
■ Predicted water level
⬤ Report time
Weather Overview
Wind Speed: 10.3 MPH
Wind Direction: NW (310°)
Temperature: 59℉
Rainfall (Calendar Day): 0"
Rainfall (Past 24 Hours): 0"
1 Comment. Leave new
Thank you for helping monitor for green crabs with Molt Search. Unfortunately, you were spot on with your identification and we can confirm that you did find a green crab. As you might be aware, green crabs are unfortunately widespread throughout this region, and a number of tribes, agencies and community members work collectively to trap them there, including around Ocean Shores. Thanks so much for contributing data to this effort. We’re passing this detection over to our partners at WDFW so that they can be aware and plan any potential follow-up trapping accordingly. Feel free to get in touch with us (crabteam@uw.edu) for any updates in a few weeks.
Thank you for including a photo of the underside of the crab! This crab is a male, which can be identified by looking at the flap on the abdomen. Males have a skinnier, pointier abdomen flap and females have a more rounded one. Here is a link to our Crabdomen Guide from our website: https://wsg.washington.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Crabdomen-Guide.pdf. I’ll go ahead and make that edit on the report. As a reminder for future Molt Searches, including an object for scale (like calipers or an upside-down credit card) in your photo helps us make the most of your reports and keep our data quality high. Were you able to get a size measurement on this crab?
Glad you were able to get out and enjoy the day on the coast. Great to have you part of the Molt Search community!