Climate-Related Hydrological Regimes and Their Effects on Abundance of Juvenile Blue Crabs ( Callinectes sapidus ) in the Northcentral Gulf of Mexico

• Main Authors: Sanchez-Rubio, Guillermo, Perry, Harriet M., Biesiot, Patricia M., Johnson, Donald R., Lipcius, Romuald N.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: The Aquila Digital Community 2011
• Subjects: North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/579; https://aquila.usm.edu/context/fac_pubs/article/1578/viewcontent/Climate_related_hydrological_regimes_and_their_effects_on_abundance_of_juvenile_blue_crabs__Callinectes_sapidus__in_the_northcentral_Gulf_of_Mexico.pdf

The abundance of juvenile blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in the northcentral Gulf of Mexico was investigated in response to climate-related hydrological regimes. Two distinct periods of blue crab abundance (1, 1973-94 and 2, 1997-2005) were associated with two opposite climate-related hydrological regimes. Period 1 was characterized by high numbers of crabs, whereas period 2 was characterized by low numbers of crabs. The cold phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and high north-south wind momentum were associated with period 1. Hydrological conditions associated with phases of the AMO and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in conjunction with the north-south wind momentum may favor blue crab productivity by influencing blue crab predation dynamics through the exclusion of predators. About 25% (22-28%) of the variability in blue crab abundance was explained by a north south wind momentum in concert with either salinity, precipitation, or the Palmer drought severity index, or by a combination of the NAO and precipitation.