Cannibalism & Competition in the Chesapeake Bay

Guennouni, Nihal

Publication

Cannibalism & Competition in the Chesapeake Bay

Guennouni, Nihal

Abstract

Grade Level: 7th grade Life Science. Blue crabs are opportunistic omnivores which means that they eat everything they can get their claws on, including each other! Cannibalism is a major driver for blue crab abundance in Chesapeake Bay and we need you to help us better understand how cannibalism works. Together, let’s look at how changes in the number of prey, or the prey density, can impact how much cannibalism occurs in blue crab habitats. Focus: Understanding a predator-prey relationship and how competition for resources such as habitat space can influence cannibalism in the blue crab population.