The Green Crab is an invasive species. It isn’t even supposed to be in Maine! It is from Europe, it could really harm our environment, and the money in our pocket! But what would happen if we did nothing to make them leave? This is about what would happen if we did nothing.

Green Crabs are moving quickly. And unless we stop them they won’t disappear! They have made their way from Europe to Maine, (The East Coast) California, (The West coast), Canada, (above California), and have been spotted in South America, (from Peru to Argentina, and Brazil), Africa (Namibia, south Africa, and Madagascar), the bottom of Australia, all over new Zealand, and in Russia. They’re all over the world and still spreading. They’re a problem in Maine. The Green Crab is one of the most invasive species in the world.

What Green Crabs eat is also a problem. They eat small crustaceans, and mainly clams, oysters, and mussels. These are animals other animals (such as us) eat. But what green crabs do is when another animal (for example a lobster) kills a clam and is about to eat it the Green crab comes in and chases the lobster off then eats their food. Green crabs eat about 40 small clams a day, so one crab is consuming more clams than we get if we ordered clams at a restaurant. As a result, when we go fishing for clams there won’t be as many because not only are green crabs eating calms but so are other aquatic animals. Those animals have to then find extra food or else they die. In other words there will be less for us because the green crab population will go up and the clam population will go down. If the clam population goes down then humans can’t make money from selling clams! So if we leave the crabs alone we will have to stop fishing various types of fish. We won’t be able to eat some of our favorite seafood, and the business won’t make money. Eventually even the government won’t get as much in taxes from businesses and residents will have to pay higher taxes.

We are trying to get rid of the green crabs, but some places have basically given up already. Like in Boston they have completely given up on getting rid of green crabs. They have said it’s impossible to get the crabs out of the area. But thankfully scientists have a good enough grasp on the situation that they don’t think that the crabs can harm the ecosystem anymore than they already have. For Maine, however, if we leave the crabs alone it could be too late to get rid of them. Right now we haven’t given up, and we need to keep going before it’s too late to get rid of them!

Green Crabs like warm water. So why are they going to cold places? It’s not because they’re adapting (which they are doing, all animals do that) it’s because of global warming. Green crabs are closest to the shoreline because that’s where it’s the warmest. The population numbers used to be alright, but now they’re moving to where they shouldn’t be and eating all the local food. And they will keep at it until we stop them, and if we do nothing then they will keep spreading and eating and they won’t not stop eating until it’s too late.

Maine is known for lobstering, and the Green Crabs are going to start effecting them too. It says in New England Ocean Odyssey that Maine fishermen are worried the crabs are going to eat right through the shellfish, that they will go after the lobsters. That would be even worse! If we don’t stop them they will go to the lobsters for food, and Maine won’t be able to fish lobsters, which would be a disaster! No more lobster means no people visiting Maine to eat our legendary lobsters! So Maine won’t be making any money. That will be really bad. And who knows what will happen after that, but let’s be honest, it’s not going to be good.

In conclusion, if we leave green crabs untouched and do nothing, the green crabs could eat through the shellfish population, making it so we can’t sell shellfish, and then they might go for the lobsters. Then we wouldn’t be able to fish and sell lobsters either. So then tourists won’t come to eat our amazing lobsters anymore. Maine won’t be getting as much in taxes from the businesses, and government will be forced to get taxes from the people instead. And green crabs will spread even farther across the world to where they’re not now, and they will be a even worse problem! So if we do nothing and leave them alone things would get really bad. We can’t let this happen. We need to get rid of these crabs, or at least stop them from spreading. And that’s what I propose. We must not give up and let them spread.We must instead keep trying and never give up, because nothing is impossible.

Emily Tetzlaff is a student at Bath Middle School.

From the editor:

BATH MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS have been learning about environmental stewardship with a focus on the green crab, an invasive species that threatens our local ecosystem. Grade 7 teacher Leah Heyman has submitted to us two works by students — a guest column and cartoon — as an example of these youngsters putting their talents to good use. In addition, this week students hosted an exposition with a special keynote speaker, showing off their learning about the green crab and its impact on Maine.