OREANDA-NEWS  A team of marine biologists from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has solved the mystery of why about 10 billion snow crabs disappeared from the Bering Sea back in 2018-2019. According to an article published in the journal Science, the water there has become too warm for them.

A sharp decline in the number of these animals was observed as early as 2021, and the complete disappearance of crabs was observed only at the beginning of 2023. No traces of crabs could be found in the surrounding areas.

The team used data from previous studies on how snow crabs react to higher temperatures, since a heat wave was observed in the area before and during their disappearance. It is known that when the water temperature rises, the crabs' energy needs increase.

During the heat wave, the water temperature rose by three degrees Celsius, which meant that the crabs would need twice as much food to survive. Shortly before the start of the heat wave, the crab population increased dramatically, resulting in significantly increased competition for food. As a result, scientists conclude, the disappearance of animals is associated with hunger.