Future of Oceans lecture: “Dungeness Crab in the Salish Sea: The Power of Collaborative Research”
Schedule
Sun, 29 Mar, 2026 at 03:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Fort Worden State Park | Port Townsend, WA
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LAST LECTURE OF THE 2025-2026 SEASON:
Future of Oceans lecture “Dungeness Crab in the Salish Sea: The Power of Collaborative Research”
Sunday, March 29
3pm
Wheeler Theater
Please note: A Discover Pass is required to park at Fort Worden Historical State Park.
Space is limited. To keep this series accessible to all, regardless of the ability to pay, there is no set charge for the event; however, donations are always welcomed and appreciated.
...
Many natural resources are managed without essential, biologically relevant data. Fisheries are particularly susceptible to this reality and, thus, are vulnerable to environmental changes and disturbances, with both human livelihoods and the health of ecological systems at stake. Here, we explore how the Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group (PCRG) employs a collaborative, stakeholder-driven approach to generate the information needed to inform a data-poor, co-managed fishery, using the example of Dungeness crab Metacarcinus magister in the northeastern Pacific’s Salish Sea. We focus on the PCRG larval crab monitoring network as a multifaceted case study, which unites tribal, state, and federal governments, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, and local communities working to produce the first standardized continuous data set on Dungeness crab larval dynamics in the region. Highlighting the types of biological data collected, including spatial and temporal patterns of larval flux and larval size, we explore the application of novel data to fisheries management, as well as the network’s contribution to a diversity of educational opportunities and ability to leverage new research projects and collaborations. The success of PCRG’s larval crab monitoring network ultimately highlights the effectiveness of a cooperative, network-based approach in addressing fisheries management challenges and offers a viable model for managing data-poor systems worldwide.
About the Speaker:
Emily Buckner facilitates research and partnerships in her role as the program manager for the Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group, a large collaborative research network advancing knowledge on local Dungeness crab populations to inform sustainable management. She also works on restorative mariculture projects, with a focus on seaweed, co-leading the Sea-Land program with Hannah Garfield. Emily is a graduate of Carleton College and the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington.
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Where is it happening?
Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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