Artifacts recovered after long immersion in salt or freshwater require conservation treatment if they are to last. On exposure to high concentrations of oxygen in the air, iron artifacts will bloom into piles of rust. Wood will crack and split if dried out improperly. Organic materials will crumble to dust.
The manual below details conservation methods for many types of materials and artifacts.
These crabs have the last pair of legs modified into paddles, with which they are remarkably fast and agile sideways swimmers. Apart from this, they retain the walking and burrowing abilities of other crabs. Swimming crabs are bad-tempered creatures that aggressively defend themselves. Large ones can pinch very painfully, so handle with care!
Callinectes sapidus
Profile by Bill Figley
and Ray Townsend
Size:
to 9" across
Range:
Cape Cod to Texas
Habitat:
Bays and estuaries, sometimes found in freshwater, spend their winters in the mud.
More: Swimming Crabs ...
