. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. stacks of soft shell crabs sprinkled with ice and ready to go to market. The crabs are boxed according to size — from jumbo to hotel — and packed in seaweed. "They will stay alive for three days," says Bridges. "They are all going to the market in New ; Outside the building, more than 150 shedding tanks sit on top of wood frames. The fiberglass white tanks have pipes that draw water from the nearby creek. "The water is con- stantly circulating," says Bridges. During shedd
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. stacks of soft shell crabs sprinkled with ice and ready to go to market. The crabs are boxed according to size — from jumbo to hotel — and packed in seaweed. "They will stay alive for three days," says Bridges. "They are all going to the market in New ; Outside the building, more than 150 shedding tanks sit on top of wood frames. The fiberglass white tanks have pipes that draw water from the nearby creek. "The water is con- stantly circulating," says Bridges. During shedding season from May until November, Bridges and his employees dart from tank to tank, watching the crabs to see when they escape from their shells. Crabs molt to grow, and shed some 20 to 30 times in their two- to three-year lifespan. "We have to check the tanks every four hours," says Bridges. "I only get two to three hours sleep during the shedding ; The busiest time is May when 75 percent of the crabs shed, says Bridges. "Last year was an exception. We had a great month in August. It had never happened before. It is just ; Although most crabbers call it quits after the peak shedding season, Bridges sheds until the last crab has crawled into the mud. "I buy a lot of peelers from hard crabbers," he says. "This makes it worth- while for me to shed until the water gets cold in ; NEW SHEDDING TECHNOLOGY Bridges was one of the first shedders in the state to use a flow-through system. Before installing onshore tanks, he used sunken boats and floating trays offshore while waiting for the critters to bust Bridges checks the tanks at his Colington seafood business, tucked away from tourist traffic. The efficiency of a flow-through system has attracted more people to the shedding business. "There weren't over 10 shedders when I first started over 25 years ago," says Bridges. "Now, there ar
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
