Nantucket Green Crab Week
Sunday August 2 - Saturday August 8
Join the Maria Mitchell Association, Nantucket Land Council, and Sustainable Nantucket for our 7th annual Green Crab Week featuring six days of fun and informative programming about the invasive European green crabs! Events will include chances to hunt, capture, recycle, and even eat green crabs! The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is an invasive species that threatens Nantucket’s native species and eelgrass habitats.
SCHEDULE OF 2026 EVENTS:
MMA Green Crab Identification Workshop and Derby Information Session
Date: Monday, August 3
Time: 3:45pm - 4:30pm
Location: MMA Aquarium, 32 Washington Street
Price: FREE
Join Maria Mitchell Aquarium staff to learn how to identify the European green crab (Carcinus maenus), an invasive species that threatens Nantucket's native species and habitats! We will compare these species to local crab species and determine their biological sex. This is a great opportunity to learn about our annual Nantucket Green Crab Derby and all of its events!
MMA Nantucket Green Crab Survey: Seine Method
Date: Tuesday, August 4
Time: 3:15pm - 4:15pm
Location: Hither Creek, Beach Access #52, near 22 Massachusetts Avenue
Price: FREE
Join Maria Mitchell Aquarium staff on a survey for invasive European green crabs! This survey will be part of the MMA Nantucket green crab Community Science Survey that you can do yourself at any time. In this session, we will be using a seine net. Overflow parking is located near 6 Massachusetts Avenue.
Green Crab Fertilizer Workshop with the Sustainable Nantucket
Date: Thursday, August 6
Time: 10am - 12pm
Location: 168 Hummock Pond Road, Mt. Vernon Farm
Price: FREE
In collaboration with Sustainable Nantucket, please join us for this free workshop on how to help control the population of the invasive green crab. Green crabs can be turned into an environmentally friendly fertilizer for your garden. Participants should bring completely waterproof boots they are comfortable crushing dead crabs with, as well as a sealable bottle or jar to take home their fertilizer.
We will provide crabs, coolers for on-site use, vinegar, and take-home fertilizer instructions.
MMA Nantucket Green Crab Survey: Wading & Hand Net
Date: Friday, August 7
Time: 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: The Creeks/ Harbor Flats, 99 Washington Street Ext.
Price: FREE
Join Maria Mitchell Aquarium staff on a survey for invasive European green crabs! This survey will be a part of the MMA Nantucket Green Crab Citizen Science Survey that you can do yourself at any time! In this session, we will be and using hand nets. Parking is located in front of Sayles Seafood, 99 Washington Street Ext. Additional parking or the Town Lot across from the Harbormaster's Office/Town dock.
2025 Nantucket Green Crab Derby
Date: Saturday, August 8
Time: 12am - 4pm
Location: Anywhere on the island there are green crabs!
Price: $10 per team, each team can have up to 4 people.
Help the Maria Mitchell Association and the Nantucket Land and Water Council fight the green crab invasion by participating in the 7th annual Nantucket Green Crab Derby! Participate in a team of up to 4 to help us maintain healthy marine habitats and for a chance to win prizes.
Drop off your green crabs on August 8 between 12pm and 4pm at the Aquarium.
Green Crab (Carcinus maenas)
You can send green crab inquiries to MMA Aquarium Manager, Christina Norman at cpetrik@mariamitchell.org
Learn More About Green Crabs:
- Maria Mitchell Association Green Crab Research Page
- Nantucket Green Crab Survey and Identification Guide: We are monitoring the green crab population in Nantucket using a Citizen Science survey, which means you can participate in our research! The goals of the Nantucket Beach Green Crab Survey are to assess where green crabs are most abundant on Nantucket and to remove the invasive species from the environment. While we suspect that European green crabs are present in all of Nantucket’s marine environments, we are particularly interested in how the crabs are using Nantucket’s eelgrass beds.
- Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Regulations (including how to request a Letter of Authorization for collecting Green Crabs)
- Green Crabs Identified as Cause of Soft-Shelled Clam Decline in Maine
- Greencrab.org