Researchers at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography are studying how Jonah crabs (Cancer borealis) are utilizing offshore wind turbine foundations as habitat, as the Southern New England lobster population continues to decline. Emmanuel Oyewole, a Ph.D. student in the McMahon Ocean Ecogeochemistry Lab, has been working with commercial fishermen to collect Jonah crabs from areas near wind turbines and using stable isotope analysis to track their movements and habitat use over time. The research seeks to answer whether offshore wind structures are enhancing local production of crabs and other species – effectively creating new habitat – or whether they are simply aggregating or concentrating existing biomass from surrounding areas. The Jonah crab fishery has grown substantially in recent years as lobsters have declined in Southern New England waters. The research sits at the intersection of climate-driven species shifts, the growth of offshore wind infrastructure, and the economic adaptation of the region’s commercial fishing fleet, and aims to inform science-based management of these changing marine ecosystems. More information can be found here.
