THE USE OF HEATED EFFLUENTS FROM POWER PLANTS FOR THE WINTER PRODUCTION OF SOFT SHELL CRABS 1

This research was conducted July, 1969 through February, 1970 at the P. H. Robinson Generating Station on Galveston Bay, Texas and deals with the potential of using heated water from an electric generating station for a soft shell, blue crab ( Callinectes sapidus ) industry. In cost per kg the soft shell crab is one of the more valuable resources being fished along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico. The lack of competition from a wild winter stock of soft shell blue crabs would add value to a winter fisheries. The presence of a large wild stock of hard shell blue crabs throughout the year could provide the industry with an inexpensive stocking source. Molting in the intake and discharge canals occured at temperatures between 15 and 35C; the majority of molting crabs were taken in the intake from July to the middle of October and from the discharge from the middle of October through February. Ten percent of the crabs taken after the initial drop below 15 C in the intake canal were soft while 24% of the crabs taken in the discharge canal during the same period of time were soft. The use of the intake canal waters during the warmest months, when discharge temperatures are too high for holding crabs, could make this a year round industry. Holding tanks for maintaining hard and peeler crabs could be moved from one canal to the other as water temperatures demanded.