A team of marine biologists from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has uncovered the mystery of why nearly 10 billion snow crabs disappeared from the Bering Sea in 2018-2019. According to an article published in the journal ScienceThe water there became too warm for them.

A sharp decrease 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 trace of crab was found in the surrounding area.

The team used data from previous studies on how snow crabs respond to warmer temperatures; because there was a heat wave in the region before and during their disappearance. It is known that when the water temperature increases, the energy needs of crabs also increase.

During the heatwave, the water temperature increased by three degrees Celsius, meaning the crabs would need twice as much food to survive. Shortly before the onset of abnormal heat, the crab population increased dramatically, resulting in significantly increased competition for food. Scientists believe that animal extinction is linked to starvation. Source