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ECOLOGY AND FOOD WEB DYNAMICS

Purpose: To continue developing our understanding of marine and coastal food web dynamics, particularly regarding the interactions between Dungeness crab and other species.

Research Priorities:

  • Understand top-down (predation) versus bottom-up (recruitment limitations) impacts on Dungeness populations

  • Investigate the impacts of environmental stressors on various life history stages for Dungeness crab

  • Explore the marine disease landscape in Washington waters

  • Determine how environmental factors influence growth rates for Dungeness crab

  • Determine if, and to what degree, predators (e.g. otters) impact Dungeness crab populations

  • Understand the diets of Dungeness crab using a variety of methods (fatty acid, stable isotopes, etc.)

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