Over the summer, crabbers in Chesapeake Bay pulled up four funny looking creatures. They were not the bay’s normal, skinny blue crabs, but instead, chunky stone crabs, the delectable crustaceans whose ...

The blue crab represents Maryland’s culture, economy, and long relationship with the Chesapeake Bay. Its population reflects the health of the bay and the effects of fishing and habitat management.

Blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay have dropped to a “distressing low” number, experts say, marking several years of repeated declines and raising concern about their long-term health. The estimated ...