Research

Method to Assess Crab Viability for Live Delivery of Seafood

Live seafood delivery is the fastest growing sector of the global seafood market today. One of the major technological needs voiced by the seafood industry in Alaska is a predicative and quantitative measure of the viability of individual organisms prior to their shipping to better guarantee a healthy and live delivered product. Our focus was on improving the ability of the industry to predict which individual Alaskan crab will survive live shipping by developing a methodology to quickly and accurately assess the health of individual specimens prior to their shipment. This methodology would decrease losses of crab due to poor viability and increase the profitability in the live shipping of Alaskan crustaceans to distant markets.

Presentations: Elmejjati, S., Oliveira, ACM., Haukenes, AH., Stevens, BG., Smiley, S., & Buck, CL. 2005. Metabolic responses of Tanner crabs (Chionoecetes bairdi) to the effects of handling, emersion and temperature. AAAS Arctic Division 2005 Arctic Science Symposium. Kodiak Alaska, September 2005.

Elmejjati, S., Buck, CL., Oliveira, ACM., Haukenes, AH. & Stevens, BG. 2003. Physical injuries and physiological responses of Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) following a hypoxia stressor at two temperatures. 2003. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.

Buck, CL., 2002. Environmental Physiology and Sustainable Fisheries, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology, Fairbanks Alaska. (November 2002).