The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, is perhaps the Bay's most iconic species. Blue crabs exhibit a complex life history with large-scale dispersal between estuarine and marine habitats during larval, juvenile and adult phases. Within Chesapeake Bay, blue crabs utilize key nearshore habitats including seagrass, tidal salt marshes and woody debris that are particularly vulnerable to a suite of anthropogenic stressors. The blue crab is an integral component of the complex estuarine foodweb, and serves important roles as both predator and prey in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem (Baird and Ulanowicz 1989). The blue crab supports both a thriving recreational fishery and Chesapeake Bay's most lucrative commercial fishery. The fishery is complex with commercial and recreational sectors, regional variation in fishing gear and effort, multi-jurisdictional management, and a variety of markets including live hard crab, soft and peeler and processed crab meat industries (Kennedy et al. 2007). Recent declines in blue crab populations, female spawning stock and harvest have resulted in coordinated single-species management efforts. However, given the ecological, economic and sociological importance of the blue crab to the region, this species is perhaps the ideal candidate for ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM) in Chesapeake Bay.