WILLIAMSBURG, Va., Nov. 2 -- William and Mary issued the following news release:

The following story originally appeared on the website for W&M's VIMS & Batten School. - Ed.

In 2025, a local crabber reached out to Professor Romuald Lipcius with some exciting news: He'd been catching stone crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. Native to Florida, the species had reached its northernmost documented occurrence to date. News got out, and William & Mary's VIMS & Batten School were flooded with additional sightings from the public. Some were legitimate; many were mistaken identities.

More recently, an egg-bearing stone crab was caught, providing evidence that the crabs aren't just visitors - they're reproducing in their new home.

Scientists refer to sp...