See it: Invasive species of crab spotted for first time in Pacific Northwest
The agency reported that an alert fisherman discovered a Chinese mitten crab along the Columbia River, which forms the border between Washington and Oregon.
Biologists warn that this crustacean, typically found in freshwater habitats near saltwater environments, poses a threat to native species.
Dungeness Crab Die-off Underway Along Us West Coast
Chinese mitten crabs are known for their distinctive hairy, mitten-like claws and a notch between their eyes, although they are often misidentified as native species.
Using their claws, the crabs are known to feed on a wide range of organisms, including fish eggs, small invertebrates and aquatic plants.
Wildlife experts are particularly concerned about the crab's potential impact on the region's critical salmon population.
Additionally, large groups of crabs can damage aquatic infrastructure such as levees, dams and bulkheads.
The ODFW stated that it is unclear how the crab arrived in the Columbia River, but it may have been introduced by humans or inadvertently transported by a passing ship.
A similar discovery occurred in 1997, when what was believed to be a Japanese mitten crab was found in the region, but the discovery did not lead to the establishment of a local population.
Despite Weather Challenges, Value Of Maine Lobsters Jumps By $46 Million
The recent sighting is not the first sighting of the Chinese mitten crab in the Lower 48.
The species was first reported in San Francisco Bay in 1992 and has since been found in the Gulf Coast, Great Lakes and along the East Coast.
The ODFW said it is working closely with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and NOAA to determine whether additional Chinese mitten crabs are present in the river, but, so far, has found no evidence of a large-scale invasion.
The agency encourages anyone who spots the crab along the Columbia River or nearby waterways to report the sighting to the Oregon Invasive Species Council.Original article source: See it: Invasive species of crab spotted for first time in Pacific Northwest
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
2 days ago
- The Hill
Online creators, led by MrBeast and Mark Rober, want to raise $40 million for clean water access
NEW YORK (AP) — Online creators from dozens of countries, led by MrBeast and popular science YouTuber Mark Rober, are launching a $40 million fundraiser to build water quality projects around the world. The monthlong crowdfunding campaign, touted as the biggest YouTube collaboration and called #TeamWater, promises to rally their combined 2 billion subscribers around combating unsafe water sources. Funds will primarily benefit WaterAid, an international nonprofit that builds community-tailored infrastructure ranging from solar-powered wells to rainwater harvesting systems. More than 2 billion people lacked access to safely managed drinking water as of 2022, according to the United Nations. Organizers want to put a dent in that figure by providing sustainable access for 2 million people — and instilling new generations with a lifelong commitment to advocacy. Joining #TeamWater are smaller creators and some of the biggest names online such as streaming giant Kai Cenat, trendy YouTubers the Stokes Twins and sports entertainers Dude Perfect. Whether they are filming serious explainers or silly water-themed challenges, creators are encouraged to produce content that is authentic to their brand. Water access was identified as a solvable issue that could also unite their mass global following. But MrBeast CEO Jeff Housenbold acknowledged they are better awareness builders than infield executors So, they sought a partner with global reach, existing community partnerships and long-term change-making abilities. That led them to WaterAid. The organization first started talking with MrBeast's team two years ago, according to WaterAid America CEO Kelly Parsons. She said WaterAid typically engages communities for up to a year designing the proper solution. That work sometimes involves training local water technicians. 'It all begins and ends in the communities we work with and through them to ensure design that lasts,' Parsons said. 'It's about people more than about plumbing.' While WaterAid would did not provide a list of all the places where funds would go, countries include Colombia, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Malawi and Kenya. Charity partners GivePower and the Alok Foundation are also helping implementation in rural Kenya and Brazil, respectively. U.S.-based projects include an atmospheric water generator for an assisted living facility in Jackson, Mississippi, where the fragile water system nearly collapsed three years ago. The nonprofit DigDeep is helping fix crumbling infrastructure in the small town of Rhodell, West Virginia. Alex and Alan Stokes, whose 129 million subscribers make them one of YouTube's biggest channels, filmed in a Nepalese village where the campaign is building a 15,000-liter tank. The trip recalled their own upbringing in a Chinese town where their grandfather walked miles to fill 5-gallon water jugs. 'Being there in person was definitely one of those experiences that brought it all back for us,' Alex said. '(We) saw these kids there and it just reminded us a lot of our childhood as well.' The multi-platform drive follows the 2019 #TeamTrees and 2021 #TeamSeas campaigns, which reportedly drew more than $50 million altogether. That money helped plant millions of trees and remove millions of pounds of waste from bodies of water. Those humanitarian efforts, however, drew criticism that they promoted oversimplified solutions to complicated issues and applied Band-Aids instead of addressing the main drivers of forest loss or ocean pollution. 'Ideally, you would not use philanthropy simply to take away the symptoms of whatever is the problem,' said Patricia Illingworth, a Northeastern University philosophy professor who writes about ethics in philanthropy. 'But, rather, you would want to address the root cause.' Matt Fitzgerald, a digital campaign strategist who has organized the efforts, said the campaigns were never intended to be the 'end all be all.' He hopes they serve as an entry point for deeper commitments. While the previous two campaigns were about 'a fist-bump, Mother Earth-style of environmentalism,' he said, this one seeks to center people while still 'keeping the planet top of mind.' 'No matter how big a mass internet mobilization moment might be, real progress on these issues demands people continuing to pay attention and continuing to stay involved,' Fitzgerald said. 'To me, the way you do that, is you reach people's hearts before you try to convince them with their minds.' ___ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Online creators, led by MrBeast and Mark Rober, want to raise $40 million for clean water access
NEW YORK (AP) — Online creators from dozens of countries, led by MrBeast and popular science YouTuber Mark Rober, are launching a $40 million fundraiser to build water quality projects around the world. The monthlong crowdfunding campaign, touted as the biggest YouTube collaboration and called #TeamWater, promises to rally their combined 2 billion subscribers around combating unsafe water sources. Funds will primarily benefit WaterAid, an international nonprofit that builds community-tailored infrastructure ranging from solar-powered wells to rainwater harvesting systems. More than 2 billion people lacked access to safely managed drinking water as of 2022, according to the United Nations. Organizers want to put a dent in that figure by providing sustainable access for 2 million people — and instilling new generations with a lifelong commitment to advocacy. Joining #TeamWater are smaller creators and some of the biggest names online such as streaming giant Kai Cenat, trendy YouTubers the Stokes Twins and sports entertainers Dude Perfect. Whether they are filming serious explainers or silly water-themed challenges, creators are encouraged to produce content that is authentic to their brand. Water access was identified as a solvable issue that could also unite their mass global following. But MrBeast CEO Jeff Housenbold acknowledged they are better awareness builders than infield executors So, they sought a partner with global reach, existing community partnerships and long-term change-making abilities. That led them to WaterAid. The organization first started talking with MrBeast's team two years ago, according to WaterAid America CEO Kelly Parsons. She said WaterAid typically engages communities for up to a year designing the proper solution. That work sometimes involves training local water technicians. 'It all begins and ends in the communities we work with and through them to ensure design that lasts,' Parsons said. 'It's about people more than about plumbing.' While WaterAid would did not provide a list of all the places where funds would go, countries include Colombia, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Malawi and Kenya. Charity partners GivePower and the Alok Foundation are also helping implementation in rural Kenya and Brazil, respectively. U.S.-based projects include an atmospheric water generator for an assisted living facility in Jackson, Mississippi, where the fragile water system nearly collapsed three years ago. The nonprofit DigDeep is helping fix crumbling infrastructure in the small town of Rhodell, West Virginia. Alex and Alan Stokes, whose 129 million subscribers make them one of YouTube's biggest channels, filmed in a Nepalese village where the campaign is building a 15,000-liter tank. The trip recalled their own upbringing in a Chinese town where their grandfather walked miles to fill 5-gallon water jugs. 'Being there in person was definitely one of those experiences that brought it all back for us,' Alex said. '(We) saw these kids there and it just reminded us a lot of our childhood as well.' The multi-platform drive follows the 2019 #TeamTrees and 2021 #TeamSeas campaigns, which reportedly drew more than $50 million altogether. That money helped plant millions of trees and remove millions of pounds of waste from bodies of water. Those humanitarian efforts, however, drew criticism that they promoted oversimplified solutions to complicated issues and applied Band-Aids instead of addressing the main drivers of forest loss or ocean pollution. 'Ideally, you would not use philanthropy simply to take away the symptoms of whatever is the problem," said Patricia Illingworth, a Northeastern University philosophy professor who writes about ethics in philanthropy. "But, rather, you would want to address the root cause.' Matt Fitzgerald, a digital campaign strategist who has organized the efforts, said the campaigns were never intended to be the 'end all be all." He hopes they serve as an entry point for deeper commitments. While the previous two campaigns were about 'a fist-bump, Mother Earth-style of environmentalism,' he said, this one seeks to center people while still 'keeping the planet top of mind.' 'No matter how big a mass internet mobilization moment might be, real progress on these issues demands people continuing to pay attention and continuing to stay involved,' Fitzgerald said. "To me, the way you do that, is you reach people's hearts before you try to convince them with their minds.' ___
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
China State Media Reveals New Nuclear-Armed Submarine
A Chinese sailor deployed aboard a nuclear-armed submarine vowed that his unit would fire missiles "without hesitation" upon receiving an order, according to a report by state media. The report by China Central Television also claimed this was the "first disclosure" of a new Chinese submarine conducting a long-distance mission in an undisclosed maritime location. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment via email. China possesses more than 370 naval vessels, making it the world's largest combat fleet by hull count, including six Type 094 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, each armed with 12 nuclear ballistic missiles, according to the Federation of American Scientists. All Type 094 submarines are homeported at Longpo Naval Base on Hainan Island in southern China, which borders the South China Sea, and represent China's "first credible sea-based nuclear deterrent," the Pentagon assessed in its report on Chinese military power. Ballistic missile submarines are the most survivable leg of China's nuclear triad, alongside land-based ballistic missiles and nuclear-capable bombers, because they are extremely difficult to detect while conducting patrols that maintain a constant at-sea deterrent presence. A Chinese submarine, unidentified in the report, was seen departing a naval base at an undisclosed location, according to footage aired by China Central Television on Thursday. Australia-based naval analyst Alex Luck told Newsweek the submarine is one of six Type 094 boats in service, suggesting the footage was likely taken at Longpo Naval Base. It remains unclear whether the submarine carried out its mission in the South China Sea. While the footage offered a rare glimpse inside the submarine and how sailors operate it, certain interior sections were blurred, likely for operational security reasons. It was not immediately clear whether the interior scenes were filmed while the submarine was at sea. "Today is a peaceful era, but tomorrow may mark the start of war. On the day real war begins, we will wait only for the order—and then launch this missile without hesitation," said Ma Xiaohui, a sailor assigned to an unidentified submarine unit. The Type 094 submarine can be armed with either JL-2 or JL-3 ballistic missiles, which have ranges of 4,488 miles and 6,214 miles, respectively. The JL-3 missile is capable of targeting portions of the U.S. mainland when launched from China's littoral waters. As part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's accelerated development of nuclear forces, China's next-generation nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine, the Type 096, is expected to enter service in the late 2020s or early 2030s, according to the Pentagon's assessment report. In comparison, the United States currently operates a fleet of 14 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, each armed with up to 20 Trident II D5LE nuclear missiles. According to the Federation of American Scientists, this missile has an estimated range of 7,456 miles. The Pentagon, in its report on Chinese military power: "The [People's Republic of China]'s next-generation Type 096 [nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines] will reportedly be armed with follow-on longer range [submarine-launched ballistic missiles]." The Federation of American Scientists, in its report on Chinese nuclear weapons: "Whenever they are in the South China Sea, China's [nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines] typically appear to be accompanied by a protection detail, including surface warships and aircraft (and possibly attack submarines) capable of tracking adversarial submarines." It remains to be seen whether the Chinese military will disclose details of other nuclear forces in the coming days as it celebrates the 98th anniversary of its founding on Friday. Related Articles New Chinese Warship Debuts in Contested WatersMap Shows What Trump Tariff Rates Are For Each CountryAmerica Needs a Digital Dollar | OpinionIran Reacts to New US 'Assault' 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
