Overview

• Thousands of tuna crabs have been observed off the coast of San Diego, far from their usual habitat in Baja California.
• Experts suggest that stronger-than-normal ocean currents, potentially linked to El Niño, are sweeping the crabs northward.
• The crabs are not strong swimmers and are easily carried by currents, leading to mass strandings on beaches.
• While the swarms provide a temporary food source for local marine predators, the crabs often perish in the cooler waters.
• Scientists emphasize the need to understand the complex impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems.