06/04/2026
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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Virginia Institute of Marine Science have found sharp increases in the numbers of male and juvenile blue crabs after years of declining numbers and an especially harsh winter. The survey, conducted annually since 1990, samples 1,500 sites in the Bay and its tributaries from December to March. This year, it estimated there are 349 million blue crabs in the Bay, a 46% increase over the estimate of 238 million crabs last year.
Two-thirds of that total, about 228 million, were juvenile crabs, a 121% increase over last year’s tally. That comes after six years of declining juvenile numbers and the 2025 survey recorded the second-lowest abundance of young ever found. In addition, the survey estimated 37 million adult male crabs, a 42% increase from last year’s record low near 20 million males. Those are the highest numbers of male and juveniles since 2019.