El Niño seen dampening seaweed, crab production

Production of seaweed and mud crabs is expected to decrease due to the higher temperatures brought about by the prevailing El Niño. Production of seaweed and mud crabs is expected to decrease due to the higher temperatures brought about by the prevailing El Niño. Officials of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) said both seaweed and mud crabs cannot thrive in water temperatures higher than 32 degrees centigrade. “Normal temperature is about 30 degrees centigrade, but right now it has increased to 32. Longer exposure to higher temperature would be damaging (for seaweed),” said Maria Rovilla J. Luhan, SEAFDEC associate scientist and head of the Farming Systems and Ecology Section.