Crab, European green (Eastern and Western Coasts of U.S.)

The European green crab was introduced to the East Coast of the U.S. in the early 1800s, probably by way of ship travel. In the late 1980s, the crab was discovered on the West Coast, and invasive populations have since become established from California through Washington and up into British Columbia. The European green crab is a small but voracious predator, and it is able to outcompete other crabs for food and habitat. It eats a variety of small crustaceans (including the young of commercially important crab populations), algae, and shellfish such as oysters, clams and mussels. They can be caught in traps or collected from shellfish operations (they are a nuisance to these facilities). Although the FDA has not yet performed testing specifically on this species for contaminant levels, academic studies suggest that it does not contain levels of mercury or PCBs that can be harmful to human health, because it is especially sensitive to these contaminants itself. Although the meat yield from a green crab is somewhat lower (because they are smaller than other types of crab), it can be eaten like any other kind of crab – in soups, seafood bisque or crab cakes.