• Animal cells and systems
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.279-286
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• 2008

Development and distribution of larval Dungeness crab, Cancer magister Dana, 1852 were investigated in southeastern Alaska from late May to mid-September in 2004. Larvae were collected during daylight hours at three inner and two outer Glacier Bay stations at the two different depths in the water column, above and below the thermocline. Larval density decreased dramatically for three larval stages, zoeae I(ZI), zoeae IV, and zoeae V(ZV), but relatively little for zoeae II and zoeae III. ZI predominated at all stations in late May and were collected until late July. Larval stages progressed seasonally from ZI to ZV and density decreased from ZI through ZV. The densities of each zoeal stage at the inner and outer bay stations and at the shallow and deep depths were similar. The density of each larval stage above(shallow) and below(deep) the thermocline and between inner and outer bay stations were not significantly different. The occurrence of larval Dungeness crab is dramatically later than in other parts of the species range, in that larvae appear in abundance beginning in late May. The pattern of spatial distribution of larval stages for the inland waters of Alaska was also markedly different than the patterns reported for Dungeness crab larvae from other parts of the species range, in that the early and intermediate stages occurred within inland waters; from British Columbia to California these larval stages increase in abundance with distance offshore.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.287-295
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• 2008

Variations of larval abundance and hatch timing of Dungeness crabs, Cancer magister Dana 1852, were investigated. Dungeness crab larvae were monthly collected at 16 stations arrayed in four transects, Upper Chatham, Icy Strait, Cross Sound, and Icy Point, in southeastern Alaska from May to September 1997-2004. Larval abundance at all transects was the highest in June except in the Icy Point transect. Larval abundance was the highest in the Icy Strait transect, moderate in the Upper Chatham and Cross Sound transects, and the lowest in the Icy Point transect. Zoeae I(ZI) was predominated in May; thereafter ZI decreased and late zoeal stages occurred. In May and June, small numbers of late stage larvae unusually co-occurred with ZI in three transects. These late stage larvae may have been transported from where hatching occurs earlier. The timing of ZI occurrence varied interannually and was related to degreedays during the egg incubation period of Dungeness crabs: later larval hatching in 1997 and 2002 when temperatures were colder, while earlier larval hatching in 1998 when temperatures were warmer. The distribution patterns of Dungeness crab larvae in southeastern Alaska were markedly different from those reported from other areas of the species distribution ranges: larvae occurring much later in the year, and late stage larvae occurring in inland waters.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2007

Adult Dungeness crabs are restricted primarily in the lower part of Glacier Bay, Alaska, but the interaction of larval dispersion and adult distribution is unknown. To understand the larval occurrence in the upper part of Glacier Bay, Dungeness crab larvae, sea surface temperature (SST), and sea surface salinity (SSS) were collected at 16 near-shore and 12 mid-channel stations in Glacier Bay, southeastern Alaska during six sampling periods from March through August 2000. Each station was visited from one to five times during the entire sampling period. Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to contour SST and SSS distribution in Glacier Bay. Seven to 27 stations were visited during each sampling period. Most larvae (85% were zoeae I) occurred during May 31 to June 14, 2000. Larval density varied from none to $51.4\;100\;m^{-3}$ between stations. A few later stage larvae occurred during later sampling periods. Overall, no relationship between larval densities, and SSS, and SST existed. Larvae occurring in the upper bay were probably transported by tidal currents from the lower bay; adult Dungeness crabs in Glacier Bay have a relatively high density near the mouth of the bay but decrease sharply around 40km north of the mouth. The lack of adult crabs in the upper 60km of the bay may be related to lower salinity, resulting in sharp haloclines, or colder temperatures which are not conducive to survival or growth of either larvae or adults.