Baby octopuses deployed in Adriatic pilot to curb invasive blue crab threat

Researchers released 150,000 juvenile common octopuses off Italy's Adriatic coast as a controlled experiment to see if they can control invasive Atlantic blue crabs, which damage native shellfish and cost the local fishing industry millions. The project, led by University of Bologna scientists, follows observations that octopuses prey on the crabs, though the region's sandy seabed may limit their effectiveness. Experts caution that this is not yet a proven control strategy.