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Describe in your own words what a kayak looks like.

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How long and deep is the Chesapeake Bay?

Name at least three of the rivers/streams that flow into Chesapeake Bay:

What is a watershed?

How big is the Chesapeake Bay watershed?

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Do you have a question about the Chesapeake Bay? Explore our list of frequently asked questions to learn more about the Bay and its watershed, habitats and wildlife.

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Describe in your own words what a blue crab looks like.

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Appearance

The blue crab's carapace (shell) varies in color from bluish to olive green, and can reach up to 9 inches across. The carapace has nine marginal teeth on each side; the ninth teeth are strong spines. Its claws are bright blue, and those of mature females feature red tips.

Blue crabs have three pairs of walking legs and paddle-shaped rear swimming legs. Males have a strongly tapered abdomen, or "apron," that resembles an inverted T. Mature females have a broad, rounded apron, and immature females have a triangular apron.

Feeding

Blue crabs will feed on nearly anything they can find, including clams, oysters, mussels, smaller crustaceans, freshly dead fish, and plant and animal detritus. They will even eat more vulnerable soft-shelled blue crabs and small juveniles.

Predators

Blue crab predators include large fish like striped bass, Atlantic croaker and red drum. Predatory birds, such as blue herons, and sea turtles are also known to feed on smaller crabs.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Blue crabs mate from May through October in the brackish waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Prior to mating, males will cradle a soft-shelled female in their legs, carrying her for several days while he searches for a protected area for her final molt. Once she molts, the pair mates. After mating, the male continues to cradle the female until her shell hardens. Males eventually leave to search for another mate, while females migrate to the saltier waters of the lower Bay.

As they migrate toward the mouth of the Bay, females develop an external egg mass, or sponge, beneath their aprons. Each bright orange egg mass may contain between 750,000 and two million eggs. The egg mass darkens as the developing larvae consume the orange yolk. After about two weeks, larvae are released near the mouth of the Bay.

Currents transport the blue crab larvae, called zoea, out into the coastal waters, where they molt several times as they grow. After four to eight weeks of development in the coastal ocean, the zoea return to the brackish waters of the Bay. During their last larval molt, zoea metamorphose into a post-larval form called the megalopa.

Megalopae are pushed back into the estuary by wind and tidal currents, settling in key nursery habitats such as seagrass beds and marsh fringes.. Megalopae eventually metamorphose into immature crabs, which look like tiny adults. Immature crabs molt several times before they reach maturity, about 12 to 18 months after hatching. Few blue crabs live longer than three years.

Did You Know?

The blue crab's scientific name comes from the Greek words for "beautiful" and "swimmer."

Male blue crabs are known as "jimmies," while mature females are called "sooks."

Blue crabs are one of the most important commercial and recreational catches in the Chesapeake Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay blue crab population has not been overfished since female-specific management was implemented in 2008.

Sources and Additional Information

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The blue crab's carapace (shell) varies in color from bluish to olive green, and can reach up to 9 inches across. The carapace has nine marginal teeth on each side; the ninth teeth are strong spines. Its claws are bright blue, and those of mature females feature red tips.

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What has happened to the blue crab population since 1990?

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The Bay’s signature crustacean supports important commercial and recreational fisheries. But pollution, habitat loss and harvest pressures threaten blue crab abundance.

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What are the four main methods used to catch blue crabs?

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How to Catch Blue Crabs | Best Techniques

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Catching blue crabs is some of the most fun you can have on the water and also one of the easiest to master. Almost every kid who grew up on the water knows how to do it but for some reason forget how fun it is as they age and turn to pursue striped bass, flounder, bluefish and any number of other g…

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How do you cook blue crabs?

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Crabbing on the Coast of South Carolina

Crabbing is a favorite summer pastime for my family in Charleston, South Carolina. Some of my most vivid childhood memories are from days spent on my grandparents' dock-the day my cousin and I caught 102 crabs, the time I pulled up four crabs on one line, and the time one escaped and pinched my little toe.

What some people may not know is that crabbing, particularly line crabbing, is a sport, a science, even an art. And the payoff is a feast of tender sweet crab meat dipped in hot butter as friends and family gather around the newspaper-covered picnic table on the porch. So, follow along and hear how we catch, clean, and cook blue crabs here in South Carolina's coastal lowcountry. My Charleston Deviled Crab recipe is perfect for all that hard-earned crab meat.

Atlantic Blue Crabs Can Be Found on the Coast From Nova Scotia to Uruguay

Where to Crab

Blue crabs can be found in muddy coastal waters from Nova Scotia down to Uruguay. I live on a saltmarsh tidal creek off the Wando River in South Carolina, and crabbing is very popular. So, where do you crab if you do not have access to a dock on a waterway?

Check your local parks-some have docks and crabbing opportunities available.

Sometimes public boat landings will have a dock that can be used for crabbing.

If you have access to a boat, load up your crabbing gear and find a shallow spot to anchor and test for good crabbing. Tip: Blue crabs like rock piles.

Many public beaches allow crabbing. It is more difficult to crab in the surf, but it can be done.

If you are a visitor to a coastal area, check with the Visitor's Center for good public crabbing spots.

Check with a local store that specializes in fishing and crabbing supplies.

My best advice is to ask around. Locals who crab might be willing to share their secret spot!

How to Make a Crab Line
To make a crab line, you will need:

sturdy stick or piece of wood that will float, 6-8 inches long

cotton cable cord string (#18), 25 feet long

bullet fishing weight, 4 or 5 oz.

Instructions:

1. Tie one end of the string around the middle of the stick to serve as the handle.

2. Wrap the string around the handle.

3. Tie the bottom end of the string to the weight.

To bait the line, tie a raw chicken back or neck at the bottom of the line, close to the weight.

How to Catch Blue Crabs

One of the easiest ways to catch blue crabs is to use a crab trap, which is a baited wire contraption that does the work for you. You simply add bait, toss into the water, and wait. After several hours, you pull up the trap and hopefully have enough large crabs for a meal. A good day might bring 30 crabs, but early in the season, I may only catch 5 or 6.

The old-school method, which I prefer, is to have a baited line of string that you pull out of the water, ever so slowly, in hopes of keeping the nibbling crab on the line. When the crab comes into view, you scoop a net into the water to catch it. This method is a lot of fun and really transforms crabbing into a sport. Tip: As you pull up the line, don't let the excess string fall back into the water. It will scare the crab away.

You can purchase complete crabbing lines at some hardware or sporting stores. These have a triangle metal piece that serves as the weight and an easy clasp to hold the bait. You can also make your own crabbing line by following the instructions above.

Another method of line crabbing is with a wire mesh net that you bait and lower into the water. To check for crabs, you will yank up the net. No net scooping is necessary, because the crab will be trapped in the line's built-in net. Another similar style has a string net, which will not rust as the wire one will, but does tend to get tangled more easily. Tip: You will need to tie a 4- or 5-oz. weight to the bottom of these line nets.

One last method is to scoop crabs right out of very shallow water with a net, but no bait. This is called "scapping." If you know a good crabbing spot, you may be able to catch a few this way. To do so, though, you either have to be in a really populated area or be very lucky! My daughter and I enjoy walking the near-empty creek at low tide, but it is a muddy adventure. Tip: Wear water shoes.

Pros and Cons of Different Crabbing Methods

Safety Note on Cooking Blue Crabs

If a crab dies before you get to cleaning or cooking it, the safest thing to do is to throw it out to avoid eating a spoiled crab. There are several ways you can keep the crabs alive as you continue to crab:

Don't empty your crab trap until you are ready to cook or clean the crabs.

Keep crabs in an old laundry basket with holes, but you will have to keep dunking the basket in the water to refresh them.

You can keep crabs in a big bucket with a little seawater, but you will have to refresh it often.

Kill and clean the crabs as you go, putting them on ice or in the fridge to keep them from spoiling

Put crabs in an extra-large bait bucket and keep submerged.

How to Clean Blue Crabs

Many people like to throw live crabs right into a pot of boiling water to cook. Cooking crabs whole like that leaves a mess to deal with when eating. Once the crabs cool, you will have to rip off the shell and scoop out the yellow insides. There are those, however, that like this yellow "mustard" and leave it in for flavor.

I prefer to kill and clean the crabs before cooking. Using metal tongs, I flip the crab over on its back and pierce the underside with an ice pick right at the top point of the triangle shell section (the "apron"). It takes only one stab to get the job done, and then you can pull off the shell without any fears of getting pinched. I also pull off the apron.

Once the outer shell is removed, I then pull off the gray gills, which we call the "deadman." It is not a part you eat, so out it goes. Next, I grab the water hose and rinse out the inside gunk with a quick spray. The crabs are now ready to be cooked. Save those crab shells if you plan to make deviled crab.

Test Your Blue Crab Lingo

For each question, choose the best answer. The answer key is below.

Answer Key

1. She-crab

2. Jimmy

3. using a net to scoop crabs out of shallow water

4. gray gills under crab's main shell

5. scraping a hand-held tool along the creek or ocean bottom to catch crabs

6. a crab with little meat inside

7. seasoned cooked crab meat

8. how you get the meat out of steamed or boiled blue crabs

9. a pair of mating crabs

10. savory beautiful swimmer

Interpreting Your Score

If you got between 0 and 3 correct answers: Oops. Pretty crabby score.

If you got between 4 and 6 correct answers: Nice try, but you may want to take another "crack" at it.

If you got between 7 and 8 correct answers: Good job. You "picked" some good answers.

If you got 9 correct answers: Way to go! You know what it "boils" down to.

If you got 10 correct answers: Excellent! You really know the "scoop" on crabs.

How to Cook Crabs

You need at least a six-quart pot to cook a dozen blue crabs. My family likes to boil the crabs, though steaming is another option. To boil the crabs, follow these instructions:

1. Fill your pot about 2/3 full with water and bring to a boil.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 2-4 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning to flavor the water.

3. Next, add the crabs one by one, leaving the claws attached. Let them cook for 8-10 minutes.

4. Drain crabs in a colander.

5. After cooling a minute, pour crabs out onto a newspaper-covered table and dig in.

You may want to have some melted butter in small dipping cups, as well as paper towels, and something to crack open the crab claws. We always use standard metal nutcrackers, but you can find lobster or crab crackers as well. Tip: It is not necessary to use a mallet for blue crabs.

Some of my family members like to pick all the crab and create a huge pile to eat at once. I like to eat as I go so that every bite is warm. See my video for more details on how to pick crabs. If you have any leftover crab meat, try my Charleston Deviled Crab recipe below. You will need to save the main crab shells, scrub them clean with a vegetable brush, and boil them along with the crabs. Let them dry on paper towels until needed.

Charleston Deviled Crabs

Do You Like This Blue Crab Recipe?

Cook Time

Ingredients for Charleston Deviled Crab

5 tablespoons butter, divided

1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 cup Panko bread crumbs, plain

2 cups crab meat

salt and pepper, to taste

8 crab shells, scrubbed clean and boiled

paprika

lemon slices, for garnish

Instructions

1. Saute green pepper and onion in 1 tablespoon of butter for about 5 minutes and set aside.

2. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan.

3. Add milk and stir continously until a smooth thick white sauce has formed.

4. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, bread crumbs, salt and pepper.

5. Add the sauteed green pepper and onion.

6. Fold in crab meat.

7. Stuff crab shells loosely with deviled crab mixture.

8. Sprinkle each crab with paprika.

9. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

10. Serve with lemon.

11. Notes: If you do not have the crab shells, use small ramekins. You also can use one small casserole dish and cook it all together. For a special sweetness, add 1 tablespoon of sherry to the crab mixture before cooking. To round out the meal, add a side salad and some bread.

Your Opinion on Crabbing
© 2012 Sarah Johnson

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How to Catch, Clean, and Cook Blue Crabs

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From the creek to the dinner table, learn how to catch, clean, and cook Atlantic blue crabs. Crabbing is a favorite pastime for my family here in Charleston, South Carolina. Stop by and see how crabbing is done in the South.

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What is hypothermia? At what temperature does it occur?

What happens when your body temperature drops?

List at least three symptoms of hypothermia:

What is the treatment for hypothermia?

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Overview

Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 F (37 C). Hypothermia (hi-poe-THUR-me-uh) occurs as your body temperature falls below 95 F (35 C).

When your body temperature drops, your heart, nervous system and other organs can't work normally. Left untreated, hypothermia can lead to complete failure of your heart and respiratory system and eventually to death.

Hypothermia is often caused by exposure to cold weather or immersion in cold water. Primary treatments for hypothermia are methods to warm the body back to a normal temperature.

Symptoms

Shivering is likely the first thing you'll notice as the temperature starts to drop because it's your body's automatic defense against cold temperature - an attempt to warm itself.

Signs and symptoms of hypothermia include:

Shivering

Slurred speech or mumbling

Slow, shallow breathing

Weak pulse

Clumsiness or lack of coordination

Drowsiness or very low energy

Confusion or memory loss

Loss of consciousness

Bright red, cold skin (in infants)

Someone with hypothermia usually isn't aware of his or her condition because the symptoms often begin gradually. Also, the confused thinking associated with hypothermia prevents self-awareness. The confused thinking can also lead to risk-taking behavior.

When to see a doctor

Call 911 or your local emergency number if you suspect someone has hypothermia.

While you wait for emergency help to arrive, gently move the person inside if possible. Jarring movements can trigger dangerous irregular heartbeats. Carefully remove his or her wet clothing, replacing it with warm, dry coats or blankets.

Causes

Hypothermia occurs when your body loses heat faster than it produces it. The most common causes of hypothermia are exposure to cold-weather conditions or cold water. But prolonged exposure to any environment colder than your body can lead to hypothermia if you aren't dressed appropriately or can't control the conditions.

Specific conditions leading to hypothermia include:

Wearing clothes that aren't warm enough for weather conditions

Staying out in the cold too long

Being unable to get out of wet clothes or move to a warm, dry location

Falling into the water, as in a boating accident

Living in a house that's too cold, either from poor heating or too much air conditioning

How your body loses heat

The mechanisms of heat loss from your body include the following:

Radiated heat. Most heat loss is due to heat radiated from unprotected surfaces of your body.

Direct contact. If you're in direct contact with something very cold, such as cold water or the cold ground, heat is conducted away from your body. Because water is very good at transferring heat from your body, body heat is lost much faster in cold water than in cold air. Similarly, heat loss from your body is much faster if your clothes are wet, as when you're caught out in the rain.

Wind. Wind removes body heat by carrying away the thin layer of warm air at the surface of your skin. A wind chill factor is important in causing heat loss.

Risk factors

Risk factors for hypothermia include:

Exhaustion. Your tolerance for cold diminishes when you are fatigued.

Older age. The body's ability to regulate temperature and to sense cold may lessen with age. And some older adults may not be able to communicate when they are cold or to move to a warm location if they do feel cold.

Very young age. Children lose heat faster than adults do. Children may also ignore the cold because they're having too much fun to think about it. And they may not have the judgment to dress properly in cold weather or to get out of the cold when they should.

Mental problems. People with a mental illness, dementia or other conditions that interfere with judgment may not dress appropriately for the weather or understand the risk of cold weather. People with dementia may wander from home or get lost easily, making them more likely to be stranded outside in cold or wet weather.

Alcohol and drug use. Alcohol may make your body feel warm inside, but it causes your blood vessels to expand, resulting in more rapid heat loss from the surface of your skin. The body's natural shivering response is diminished in people who've been drinking alcohol.

In addition, the use of alcohol or recreational drugs can affect your judgment about the need to get inside or wear warm clothes in cold-weather conditions. If a person is intoxicated and passes out in cold weather, he or she is likely to develop hypothermia.

Certain medical conditions. Some health disorders affect your body's ability to regulate body temperature. Examples include an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), poor nutrition or anorexia nervosa, diabetes, stroke, severe arthritis, Parkinson's disease, trauma, and spinal cord injuries.

Medications. Some drugs can change the body's ability to regulate its temperature. Examples include certain antidepressants, antipsychotics, narcotic pain medications and sedatives.

Complications

People who develop hypothermia because of exposure to cold weather or cold water are also vulnerable to other cold-related injuries, including:

Freezing of body tissues (frostbite)

Decay and death of tissue resulting from an interruption in blood flow (gangrene)

Prevention

Staying warm in cold weather

Before you or your children step out into cold air, remember the advice that follows with the simple acronym COLD - cover, overexertion, layers, dry:

Cover. Wear a hat or other protective covering to prevent body heat from escaping from your head, face and neck. Cover your hands with mittens instead of gloves.

Overexertion. Avoid activities that would cause you to sweat a lot. The combination of wet clothing and cold weather can cause you to lose body heat more quickly.

Layers. Wear loosefitting, layered, lightweight clothing. Outer clothing made of tightly woven, water-repellent material is best for wind protection. Wool, silk or polypropylene inner layers hold body heat better than cotton does.

Dry. Stay as dry as possible. Get out of wet clothing as soon as possible. Be especially careful to keep your hands and feet dry, as it's easy for snow to get into mittens and boots.

Keeping children safe from the cold

To help prevent hypothermia when children are outside in the winter:

Dress infants and young children in one more layer than an adult would wear in the same conditions.

Bring children indoors if they start shivering - that's the first sign that hypothermia is starting.

Have children come inside frequently to warm themselves when they're playing outside.

Don't let babies sleep in a cold room.

Winter car safety

Whenever you're traveling during bad weather, be sure someone knows where you're headed and at what time you're expected to arrive. That way, if you get into trouble on your way, emergency responders will know where to look for your car.

It's also a good idea to keep emergency supplies in your car in case you get stranded. Supplies may include several blankets, matches, candles, a clean can where you can melt snow into drinking water, a first-aid kit, dry or canned food, a can opener, tow rope, booster cables, compass, and a bag of sand or kitty litter to spread for traction if you're stuck in the snow. If possible, travel with a cellphone.

If you're stranded, put everything you need in the car with you, huddle together and stay covered. Run the car for 10 minutes each hour to warm it up. Make sure a window is slightly open and the exhaust pipe isn't covered with snow while the engine is running.

Alcohol

To avoid alcohol-related risks of hypothermia, don't drink alcohol:

If you're going to be outside in cold weather

If you're boating

Before going to bed on cold nights

Cold-water safety

Water doesn't have to be extremely cold to cause hypothermia. Any water that's colder than normal body temperature causes heat loss. The following tips may increase your survival time in cold water if you accidentally fall in:

Wear a life jacket. If you plan to ride in a watercraft, wear a life jacket. A life jacket can help you stay alive longer in cold water by enabling you to float without using energy and by providing some insulation. Keep a whistle attached to your life jacket to signal for help.

Get out of the water if possible. Get out of the water as much as possible, such as climbing onto a capsized boat or grabbing onto a floating object.

Don't attempt to swim unless you're close to safety. Unless a boat, another person or a life jacket is close by, stay put. Swimming will use up energy and may shorten survival time.

Position your body to minimize heat loss. Use a body position known as the heat escape lessening posture (HELP) to reduce heat loss while you wait for assistance. Hold your knees to your chest to protect the trunk of your body. If you're wearing a life jacket that turns your face down in this position, bring your legs tightly together, your arms to your sides and your head back.

Huddle with others. If you've fallen into cold water with other people, keep warm by facing each other in a tight circle.

Don't remove your clothing. While you're in the water, don't remove clothing because it helps to insulate you from the water. Buckle, button and zip up your clothes. Cover your head if possible. Remove clothing only after you're safely out of the water and can take measures to get dry and warm.

Help for people most at risk

For people most at risk of hypothermia - infants, older adults, people who have mental or physical problems, and people who are homeless - community outreach programs and social support services can be of great help. If you are at risk or know someone at risk, contact your local public health office for available services, such as the following:

Assistance for paying heating bills

Check-in services to see if you and your home are warm enough during cold weather

Homeless shelters

Community warming centers, safe and warm daytime locations where you can go during cold weather

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Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 F (37 C). Hypothermia (hi-poe-THUR-me-uh) occurs as your body temperature falls below 95 F (35 C).

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What does the word kayak mean?

How does this relate to the kayak's original use?

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Easily one of the most popular activities at camp, our experienced instructors will kayak alongside our campers, introducing them to all the tricks of…