Media outlets began reporting this week that nearly the entire population of Alaskan snow crabs — over a billion — had “disappeared,” forcing the state to cancel winter crab season, an important part of its economy. Government agencies and scientists have suspected side effects of climate change, such as increased predation and disease, contributed to the population collapse.

But science journalist and ecologist Spencer Roberts points to evidence that melting sea ice increasingly allowed crabbers to harvest in previously-untouched waters, and industry harvesting quotas may have already at unsustainable levels. He joins us to discuss the myriad factors that led to the Alaska snow crab population collapse, its ripple effects and how the state could respond.