This is a partial DIY project. You may need: -a rc boat (use styrofoam, hot glue and a waterproof motor) -a 6' net (with tiny holes and string -a human capable of sorting out native crabs from deadly crab -a solar remote which costs thirty dollars And thats it! This project is supported by AnimalCouncil so please consider joining it. - cost. 30 dollars for solar. 20 for net. 100 dollars for the motor. 150 dollars total. Pros - this may eliminate some of crab populations in isolated estuaries at low tide. That means the crabs cant get out because they are trapped in the pool. The caught crab will be either eaten by humans, or fish at the aquarium. We can also sell freeze dried crabs to fish stores Cons - the net may end up polluting the estuary. We have to depend on manual work to sort crabs. People might make mistakes, and cook a native crab or release a green crab. Also the boat might sink, or go to far we cant get a hold of it, or the net might detach.
So What is the green crab? The European green shore crab lives and thrives in Europe. The crab eats a variety of foods, including fish, algae, and seaweed. It competes with natives for food. It also engages in cannibalism (the name in Latin means ravaging mad crab). Bays and estuaries, especially the San Francisco Bay, are home to green shore crabs. Although you might not realize it, the Green Crab is a significant problem throughout the SF estuary and coast. First off, green crabs have a daily consumption limit of 40 soft clams, which lowers the clam population. The Green Crab has a long time to eat as soft clams only spawn twice a year. How did green crabs get here? Normally, you might find green crabs in the Atlantic Ocean from England to Africa. One reason they are in the San Francisco Bay is ballast water. Every day, boats discharge ballast water, which occasionally contains baby crabs, zoea, and megalopa. When the ship dumps the water somewhere else, the little crabs will swim out. Many individuals also keep crabs as pets. People release these crabs into the nearby ocean since it is not feasible to collect them. There, they procreate, and the population skyrockets. What is my invention? My invention may be a little complex, but may not wipe out the population of these little crabs. A net I created sifts through the ocean to cut down the number of green shore crabs. We fasten this 10-by-5-foot net to a boat that will pass through estuaries. Since the diameter of each hole is 1 inch, native crabs cannot enter. A crab that crawls into a hole (and tries to devour a robot fish) will fall into a smaller net with holes that are 0.01 inches in diameter. The female crabs will then be cooked once the fisherman draws up the net. The population of crabs in the water will decline because they are unable to breed. What you can use: I might need a boat, scissors, and some net or screen to construct a prototype. I can construct an RC boat using a fan, engine, and batteries. We can make an rc boat by using a recycled bottle, and a wave maker or powerhead. This is run by solar batteries. Would you invest? Supported by the AnimalCouncil™. Web site: animalcouncil.wixsite.com/animalcouncil. This site is a work in progress.
