Blue Crab Expedition
Capital City Public Charter School
2023-2024 School Year
Public Service Announcements created by the students in the Biology course at Capital City Public Charter School. This course is taught by Liane Miller and Vanessa Walker.
Overview
In the Blue Crab Expedition students learned about the decline of the blue crab population in the Chesapeake Bay. The blue crab population is the lowest it has been in the past 33 years. Through fieldwork and mini-lessons, students discussed the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, learned the anatomy of a blue crab, and explored the issues that are facing the blue crab population. Students also learned about the economic impact of blue crabs and human practices that can restore the blue crab population.
Students produced short videos that provide a solution that humans can take to help the blue crabs.
Student-created Public Service Announcements
Natalie, Liseth, Camila
Zion, Malik, Jeremiah, Hendrick
Jaelyn, Daniela, Briana
Julio, Jeremiah, Julian, Jesus
Naiya, Alexander, Alexandra, Aaron
Quinten
Tamars, Melisa, Brian
Axel, Rahsaan, Taylor
"Do you know those days when you walk outside in winter and it's supposed to be cold, but it's warm? This is because of Climate Change, which is also impacting Blue Crabs."
- Angel, Beamlak, Kian, Zieon
Ahmiya and Aziza
Michael and Hunter
Carmen
Vandell, Hunter, Gabriel, Christian
323 million
The total number of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay
According to data from the Winter Dredge Survey, an estimated 323 million blue crabs lived in the Bay in 2023, which is a 42% increase from 227 in 2022.
Kayri, Kailyn, Gabriela, Brayan
Albert, Luis, Betzabe, Joshua
Jaylen, Roger, Nathan, Saalih
Angel, Nayely, Josef
"One thing we can do to increase the blue crab population is to decrease the number of crabs a person can catch in a bushel to 24 crabs per haul so that we can give the crabs time to reproduce."
- Kurtis, Emanuel, Camren, Austin
Camren, Emanuel, Austin, Kurtis
Michelle and Ashley
Kian, Beamlak, Zieon and Angel
Nathan and Daniel
Brandon, Daniel, Omaxtli, Emmanuel
Brian, Nyrieliz, Zylah, Ricardo
Morris, Makayla, Kallay
Drew, Darian, Andy
Leah, Jazmin, Abigail, Jeffrey
Miche, Eva, Moses, Alexis
"One solution to the decline in the blue crab population is installing different devices such as green roofs or rain barrels to collect rainfall. This will help because it decreases the amount of nutrient and sediment pollution that gets into local streams and rivers, and eventually the Bay. "
- Angel, Matteo, Nayely
How many blue crabs live in the Chesapeake Bay?
Data provided by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.