Diagnostic Test 15

In no-take reserves where predator fish biomass doubled after enforcement, juvenile crab survival and overall crab abundance rebounded while surrounding fished areas continued warming and remained crab-poor.

Historical data indicate regional sea temperatures began rising in the 1980s, decades before the crab collapse.

Lab experiments show adult crabs survive short-term exposure to higher temperatures.

Across the region, years with warmer-than-average water tend to overlap with years of lower crab harvest.