Sunny Rice of Alaska Sea Grant identifies the crap carapaces found on a southern Mitkof Island beach on July 18, 2025. The group did not find any European green crab, an invasive species found near the Ketchikan area in 2022.
A group of volunteers searched the south end of Mitkof Island for European green crab on July 18, looking for any sign that the highly invasive species had reached central Southeast Alaska after other sightings southward.
After a couple hours of scouring a rocky beach near Woodpecker Cove for crab carapaces (molted shells), there was a close call with a live green crab that the group captured.
Sunny Rice, an agent of marine conservation group Alaska Sea Grant, hurried over to inspect it. After studying its shell, Rice determined that it was not a European green crab, despite its color.
A Europ...
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