Blue Crab Tagging Study!

Not as high dollar as the snapper study but still pretty cool!

Blue Crab Research ? Nicholls State University

To investigate blue crab movements, connectivity, and mortality in the Gulf of Mexico, we will be tagging and releasing 31,000 crabs throughout the Gulf. Our tags are orange 1″ x 2″ plastic rectangles wired around the crab’s spines. You can contribute to the success of this project by clicking below to report any tagged crabs you catch. There is a $5 or $50 reward for each reported tag.
http://www.nicholls.edu/blue-crabs/f...-1-540x368.jpghttp://www.nicholls.edu/blue-crabs/f...ag-220x214.jpg
CLICK HERE TO REPORT A TAGGED CRAB.

Updates:
3/10/16: Tagging began on March 8, 2016 in Louisiana and will begin in mid-March throughout the rest of the Gulf of Mexico. As we begin gathering data on recaptured crabs, we will update the map below.

That's something needing to be done for a long time. and I understand it is hard to tag wild things...but the tag will only travel with the crab until it molts!!! If 6-8" crabs are tagged it will last bit longer but anything 5" or so molt pretty quickly. Good luck! Hope they share the results!

Check the website, they will have a map showing tag returns, updated as tags reports come in.

Do you think the presence of the tag will affect the catch rates? At times, I have been able to target a specific crab by dropping a bait (or baited net) in clear/shallow water, trying to keep it away from smaller ones in the area.

I guess most people go crabbing "blind", so that probably isn't a problem.

Interesting stuff - I'm looking forward to the results.

I am betting most reports will come from commercial traps so I don't think tag bias would be statistically significant.

I few years ago we use to catch them like crazy in the lagoon, sadly we haven't seen hardly any these last two years.

Carl, where are they releasing them?

Also, I think this should be made a sticky just in case a member does find a tagged crab. Sometimes the search bar can be a little faulty.

They are tagging 31,000 crabs all across the northern Gulf.

And they are only tagging ADULT females. This may take most of the summer. Be fun to catch one