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1 April 2017 Genetic Characterization of Atlantic Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
Elizabeth Cushman, Tanya Darden
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Abstract

The Atlantic blue crab [Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896)] is a commercially and recreationally important decapod crustacean found in estuarine and nearshore waters of the western Atlantic. Recent declines in abundance, compounded with a scarcity of biological and genetic information, have made blue crab a high-priority species for research and conservation in South Carolina (SC). A suite of microsatellite loci was used to estimate the genetic diversity and effective population size of blue crab collected from Charleston Harbor, SC, in 2012 to 2013. Genetic diversity of the Charleston Harbor blue crab population was relatively high, whereas inbreeding was fairly low. Effective size estimates were on the order of several hundred to several thousand individuals. The results of our study exhibit good indications for the overall genetic “health” of the Charleston Harbor blue crab population and provide valuable information that can be incorporated into management plans to aid in the conservation of blue crab in SC.

Elizabeth Cushman and Tanya Darden "Genetic Characterization of Atlantic Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina," Journal of Shellfish Research 36(1), 243-247, (1 April 2017). https://doi.org/10.2983/035.036.0127
Published: 1 April 2017
KEYWORDS
Atlantic blue crab
Callinectes sapidus
genetic health
population genetics
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