Stone crabs caught in Lower Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay has a surprising new resident: stone crabs.

Local crabbers recently pulled several of the Florida-native crustaceans from pots near Willoughby Spit — the first time adult stone crabs have been documented in Hampton Roads.

Rom Lipcius, a researcher at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science, says the discovery is exciting. Traditionally, stone crabs have been found as far north as North Carolina, but never in Virginia waters.

Warmer temperatures and major oyster reef restoration projects may explain why the crabs are surviving here now. The bay’s saltier lower waters provide a habitat similar to their native range.

Unlike blue crabs, stone crabs are fished for their oversized claws, which can regenerate after being harvested. Lipcius believes that if females are also found, stone crabs could eventually join blue crabs and shrimp as part of the region’s seafood industry.

For now, researchers stress that the small number of stone crabs doesn’t threaten blue crab populations. But they are asking watermen to report any future catches to VIMS as they study whether this is a one-time event — or the start of a permanent shift in the bay’s ecosystem.