00:04over the last few years there's been a mass die-off of snow crabs in the bering sea just
00:08off the coast of alaska researchers estimate that between just 2018 and 2021 some 10 billion of the
00:15crabs have disappeared meaning the species is in trouble and now according to a new report by
00:20researchers with the u.s national oceanic and atmospheric administration's alaska fisheries
00:25science center in seattle they might finally know why researchers found that in 2018 snow crab
00:30populations were reaching historic highs leading to a 150 million dollar crabbing industry in alaska
00:36however after marine heat waves hit their habitats their numbers plummeted killing billions of them
00:41with the alaskan crabbing industry only taking in 24 million dollars in 2022 these heat waves are
00:47becoming more common as our planet gets warmer and it prevents typical sea ice formation that ice has
00:52annual melt cycle that sends frigid melt water to the bottom of the sea where the crabs call home
00:57when the sea ice never formed during a marine warming period back in 2018 it couldn't eventually
01:02melt and create a cold summer habitat for the crabs which the study has found increased the metabolisms
01:08of the previously mentioned record number of crabs leading to too many snow crabs and too little food
01:13ultimately resulting in a mass die-off
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