The annual crab count began in 1990 and covers 13 beaches in Delaware and 11 in New Jersey.
The count will be done during high tides on 12 dates in May and June. Organizations involved in the crab count have scheduled training sessions this week for the volunteer crab counters.
Stewart Michels of the state Division of Fish and Wildlife says survey results since the counting methods were modified in 1999 show a stable trend in the population of female spawning crabs, and a significant increase in the number of male crabs.
