Study of Crabs to Intertidal Stimuli - 2505 along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to North Carolina (McDermott 1998). Many reasons have been put forward to explain the rapid spread of this non-native species. For example, H. sanguineus has been shown to have longer spawning periods along the mid-Atlantic coast than in its natural habitat of the western Pacific Ocean, due to a more favorable climate (Epifanio et al 1998). For this reason, these crabs are able to spawn more times per season than native crabs, which is a possible hypothesis for the explosion of their population. For this species to expand its range along the Atlantic coast, it will need to have broad tolerances to temperature and salinity. . In 1998, Epifanio discovered that the purpose of this study is to show the tolerance and behavioral responses of H. sanguineus to variations in water and air temperature as well as water salinity concentrations. It is believed that these crabs will be very tolerant of the various extreme conditions they will experience. It is the ability of these crabs to survive in these adverse situations that is the key to their success. This experiment was also designed to prove the hypothesis that the tolerance of H. sanguineus to various environmental factors increases with size. METHODS AND MATERIALS - In February 2000, a field trip was conducted to Crane Neck Point to collect live specimens for the experiment. The field trip took place at low tide. The water temperature was around 3 degrees Celsius, with the air temperature slightly above freezing (0-1 degree Celsius). Live crabs were obtained by overturning rocks in the intertidal zone. Hemigrapsus sanguineus has been found at all levels of the intertidal zone, although their numbers increase as one approaches the waterline. The crabs were collected without distinction of size. The sizes of the collected specimens ranged from 0.5 to 4.2 cm. The crabs were collected in a five-gallon plastic bucket. Water was added to the bucket to prevent the crabs from becoming dehydrated. The crabs were brought back to the laboratory, where they were kept in five-gallon plastic buckets for a few weeks until the experiment began. Air hoses were added to the buckets to oxygenate the water. The water was changed if necessary. The first experiment conducted was the one concerning water temperature and salinity tolerances. The goal was to conduct an experiment that would provide measurable data on the tolerance of H.

Essay / Study of Crabs to Intertidal Stimuli - 2505 along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to North Carolina (McDermott 1998). Many reasons have been put forward to explain the rapid spread of this non-native species. For example, H. sanguineus has been shown to have longer spawning periods along the mid-Atlantic coast than in its natural habitat of the western Pacific Ocean, due to a more favorable climate (Epifanio et al 1998). For this reason, these crabs are able to spawn more times per season than native crabs, which is a possible hypothesis for the explosion of their population. For this species to expand its range along the Atlantic coast, it will need to have broad tolerances to temperature and salinity. . In 1998, Epifanio discovered that the purpose of this study is to show the tolerance and behavioral responses of H. sanguineus to variations in water and air temperature as well as water salinity concentrations. It is believed that these crabs will be very tolerant of the various extreme conditions they will experience. It is the ability of these crabs to survive in these adverse situations that is the key to their success. This experiment was also designed to prove the hypothesis that the tolerance of H. sanguineus to various environmental factors increases with size. METHODS AND MATERIALS - In February 2000, a field trip was conducted to Crane Neck Point to collect live specimens for the experiment. The field trip took place at low tide. The water temperature was around 3 degrees Celsius, with the air temperature slightly above freezing (0-1 degree Celsius). Live crabs were obtained by overturning rocks in the intertidal zone. Hemigrapsus sanguineus has been found at all levels of the intertidal zone, although their numbers increase as one approaches the waterline. The crabs were collected without distinction of size. The sizes of the collected specimens ranged from 0.5 to 4.2 cm. The crabs were collected in a five-gallon plastic bucket. Water was added to the bucket to prevent the crabs from becoming dehydrated. The crabs were brought back to the laboratory, where they were kept in five-gallon plastic buckets for a few weeks until the experiment began. Air hoses were added to the buckets to oxygenate the water. The water was changed if necessary. The first experiment conducted was the one concerning water temperature and salinity tolerances. The goal was to conduct an experiment that would provide measurable data on the tolerance of H.

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