Mitten Crabs Spread West: Invasive species booms then crashes; new foothold in Pacific Northwest
The Chinese mitten crab made its debut in San Francisco Bay in 1992 and quickly spread, wreaking havoc on local infrastructure and ecosystems. Although their numbers dwindled in California, they surfaced in several East Coast bays. Their burrowing and breeding characteristics make them notoriously hard to eliminate. Recently, a new territory was invaded, with their presence confirmed in the Columbia River.
