Question: why are blue crabs important to the chesapeake bay?
Answer: Why are blue crabs important? As both predator and prey, blue crabs are a keystone species in the Chesapeake Bay food web. The crustaceans are both predators and prey in the Bay's food web: Blue crab larvae are part of the Bay's planktonic community, serving as food for menhaden, oysters and other filter feeders.