Green Crab Creativity Earns Bradt National Honor

Gabriela Bradt, fisheries extension specialist with NH Sea Grant and UNH Extension, received the national Superior Outreach Programming Award from the Sea Grant Extension Assembly last month during an award ceremony in Savannah, Ga.

Bradt received the 2024 individual award for her exemplary work leading the NH Green Crab Project.

The NH Green Crab Project originated in 2015, when local fishermen contacted NH Sea Grant asking what could be done as invasive European green crabs (Carcinas maenas) became increasingly difficult and costly to deal with along the Seacoast. Green crab populations in the Northeast U.S. have increased due to warming ocean temperatures and the lack of mitigation strategies.

In response, Bradt initiated a multifaceted approach to studying green crabs, educating the public, and engaging industry members - all with the intention of providing alternative revenue streams for the fishing industry, bringing a novel seafood product to market and contributing to the restoration of ecosystems by removing an invasive species from crucial coastal habitats.

The NH Green Grab Project's success can be attributed to the diversity of activities and opportunities for engagement. Highlights from her work include the publication of The Green Crab Guide with partners at Manomet, robust citizen science engagement during Great Green Crab Hunts with the Coastal Research Volunteer Program and Nature Groupie, an interactive public science exhibit with the Seacoast Science Center and mentorship of both undergraduate and graduate student researchers. 

One of Bradt's most innovative outputs was a collaboration with Tamworth Distilling in Tamworth to create a green crab-infused whiskey, called Crab Trapper. Thousands of green crabs were harvested from Seabrook for use in the distilling process. Crab Trapper gained viral status in 2022 with features in Business Insider, Forbes magazine, and a mention on Stephen Colbert's The Late Show (2:34). While not the solution to the green crab invasion, this unique product and collaboration successfully raised awareness for potential innovative uses for the nuisance species and elevated Bradt's efforts in this field.

"Gabby is a leading expert on invasive green crabs in the Northeast and nationally," says Erik Chapman, director of NH Sea Grant. "This well-deserved award recognizes Gabby's strengths spanning the full suite of Sea Grant's integrated approach - incorporating extension, education, research, and communications elements. I am thrilled for her work to be celebrated with this prestigious honor."

Sea Grant's Superior Outreach Programming Award honors superior leadership, teamwork, and accomplishment by Sea Grant extension personnel engaged in an exceptional outreach program. Every two years, one individual award winner and one team award winner are selected for the nation.

Prior to receiving the national Superior Outreach Programming Award, Bradt was honored in May 2024 with the Northeast Sea Grant Consortium's regional outreach award. In May 2023, Bradt also received a UNH Faculty Sustainability Award for her NH Green Crab Project.