CHESAPEAKE BAY – Scientists say there is some encouraging news for Chesapeake Bay blue crabs this year after six consecutive years of below-average juvenile populations.
According to the 2026 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey released Monday by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, both juvenile blue crab numbers and the overall blue crab population increased compared to last year’s survey.
The annual winter dredge survey is one of the primary tools scientists use to estimate the health of the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population. Researchers collect samples from across the Bay during the winter months, when crabs bury themselves in the mud, to estimate population trends…