mallet, or small hammer is used for cracking Dungeness crab, but the use of these devices is not recommended, as the integrity of the meat may be compromised by the impact. Sustainability Seafood Watch has given the Dungeness crab a sustainable seafood rating of "Good Alternative" to overfished species or fish that is farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. In 2014, 53 million pounds worth $170 million was harvested. A 2020 study funded by NOAA showed that larval crabs are being affected by ocean acidification caused by lowered pH levels resulting in a higher concentration of hydrogen ions. "State crustacean" designation in Oregon In 2009, after lobbying from schoolchildren at Sunset Primary School in West Linn, Oregon, and citing its importance to the Oregon economy, the Oregon Legislative Assembly designated the Dungeness crab as the state crustacean of Oregon. References Notes Further reading dungeness crab Edible crustaceans Commercial crustaceans Crustaceans of the eastern Pacific Ocean Fauna of Alaska Fauna of Western Canada Fauna of the Western United States Symbols of Oregon Fauna of the San Francisco Bay Area Crustaceans described in 1852 Taxa named by James Dwight Dana