Nasty Little Green Crab and Its Attack on N. Oregon Coast's Netarts Bay

Published 03/09/25 at 7:15 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Netarts, Oregon) – Invasive green crabs are making their mark all over coastlines of the western U.S., even as far as Alaska. If you think the Oregon coast and even tiny little Netarts were immune, you'd be wrong.

On April 5, Netarts Bay Watershed, Estuary, Beach and Sea (WEBS) will dive into the world of the small green pest, and how the crab is hitting this section of Tillamook Coast – how they affecting estuarine and marine habitats.

It's a hybrid event, held at the Netarts Community Club or virtually online, going from 1 – 2:30 p.m. Guest speaker Dr. Sylvia Yamada for an enlightening presentation examining the consequences of the green crab’s range expansion in Netarts Bay.

These small yet aggressive invaders wreak havoc on ecosystems by preying on shellfish and uprooting eelgrass. Originally introduced to the West Coast via San Francisco Bay in the 1980s, green crabs have spread throughout estuaries and bays across California, Oregon, and Washington, recently reaching as far as Alaska. Their remarkable ability to tolerate diverse temperatures and salinity levels has made them a global ecological challenge.

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Why should we be concerned? Marina Dreeben, WEBS Stewardship Coordinator, emphasizes the urgency, inviting you to “join us in person or online to explore the current status of green crabs in Netarts Bay and the proposed solutions to mitigate their impact. The presence of green crabs poses a significant threat to native shellfish and countless other species.”

Courtesy University of Washington

What can be done? Engage in this critical discussion with Dr. Sylvia Yamada, a distinguished scientist with expertise in the green crab invasion across the Pacific Northwest. Holding degrees from the University of British Columbia and the University of Oregon, Dr. Yamada’s impressive career includes research on salmon for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, as well as teaching roles at Woods Hole Marine Biological Lab, Wellesley College, the University of Oregon, and Oregon State University. Her research focuses on predator-prey dynamics, invertebrate fisheries management, and the impact of invasive species on native communities. Since 1998, she has closely tracked the green crab’s range expansion.

This is an opportunity to learn, share, and contribute to the conversation about safeguarding our ecosystems.

Registration is required. Select in-person or virtual ticket(s) when registering. For virtual tickets, the Zoom link will be shared after registration.

To register and read more about this event, visit www.netartsbaywebs.org/events

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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