Abstract
Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896) is one of the 100 worst alien invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, first reported in Venice in 1949. Firstly, the portunid crab colonized the Northern Levantine basin, and half a century later the species spreads rapidly in the Western basin. The general use of social network sites and smart phones have derived in the bloom of citizen science, which enlists the general public in gathering scientific information across large spatio-temporal scales. This research, describes the use of citizen science to unveil the colonization of C. sapidus in the Iberian Peninsula, using the Local Ecological Knowledge of recreational fishermen. Overall, C. sapidus has been detected in more than 300 locations, including a number of Natura2000 areas and 18 rivers. Eventually, recreational fishermen perceived the presence of the portunid crab as detrimental for the ecosystem.
Distribution and Fishery of the Invasive Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) in Turkey Based on Local Ecological Knowledge of Fishers
