Crab larvae wash ashore

Observed millions of dead eggs along the shores of Port Graham Bay. We don't know what they are and would like to find out. An advisory was sent out to the community to not swim in the bay, the eggs have 2 thorns that easily penetrate the skin and are painful to remove. Violet Yeaton

Photo by Violet Yeaton, to view a larger image go to Flickr URL: link

Consult: This observation was sent to the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve (link) for identification. Jessica Ryan, Edu. Coordinator, determined the shellfish to be crab larval. The exact species or why they washed ashore in such numbers is unclear.