Chesapeake Bay blue crab numbers rise after last year’s record lows, but concerns remain

The Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population grew by an estimated 42% over the last year, a recent dredging survey found, but state officials and advocates continue to have concerns. The 2023 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, which was a collaboration between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, estimates there are 323 million blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in 2023.