The appearance of blue crab in Maine over the past couple years has researchers wondering if the prized southern crustacean is making a new home up north. Known for their bright blue claws, blue crabs are one of the most valuable commercial fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay. While not unheard of, sightings in Maine are rare, and the species historically does stray much further than Massachusetts. But scientists in southern Maine say they’ve found dozens of blue crabs in the salt marshes off Wells, prompting them to investigate if the species is extending its habitat north as the Gulf of Maine warms. If it is, there’s potential for a new fishery in Maine, though there is also tremendous uncertainty around how the highly predatory crab would interact with local species, including the lobster — the bread and butter of Maine’s fishing fleet. “It’s a little bit exciting and alarming at the same time,” said Jason Goldstein, the research director at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. The research team at the reserve first got an inkling that blue crab could be settling farther north in 2019, when they saw a dead crab in their marshes.

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