The beleaguered snow crab of the Bering Sea may have one strength that could help their population endure rapidly changing marine conditions: an apparent resilience to ocean acidification.
Research by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists in Kodiak has found that juvenile snow crabs are not harmed when reared in more acidic waters. That is a contrast with other types of crab found in Alaska waters and even with bairdi crab, commonly referred to as tanner crab, which are closely related to snow crab.
The results come from an experiment that held females for two years and observed development of embryos and larvae from eggs hatched in each of the years.
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