Marine Life & Conservation
Diving with British Marine Life: the European Spider Crab
If you’ve dived in the UK chances are you’ve encountered a European spider crab (Maja brachydactyla). While often overlooked, these crabs display a wide range of behaviours making them brilliant photography subjects and great characters to observe on a dive.
M. brachydactyla is found on the South and West Coast of England and Ireland and is the largest spider crab in the UK. European spider crabs are characterised by their red-yellow body colouration and triangular carapace bearing two distinct frontal spines between the eyes. The claws are relatively narrow with white tips, while their walking legs have dark tips.
Their carapace is covered in tiny barbs, which they use to fix an array of algae in order to ‘decorate’ a fresh moult. Such behaviour is well documented in majid crabs and helps to camouflage their bright exoskeletons. Paul Naylor, marine biologist, photographer and author of Great British Marine Animals, showcases this decorative behaviour on his Vimeo profile.
As well as actively masking their exoskeleton, spider crabs play host to a wide range of epibionts. Sessile organisms such as barnacles, anemones and tunicates settle onto their carapace in their larval stage. This relationship is known as mutualistic; the host benefits from protection from predators via camouflage, and the epibionts (an organism that lives on the surface of another organism) are exposed to sediment resuspended by the host, protection from slow moving predators, and better dispersion of offspring.
Documentary worthy aggregations of spider crabs also occur close to shore around the UK; but surprisingly these dense aggregations, also known as mounds, are driven by moulting rather than breeding. I am yet to witness this phenomenon, but look forward to the day I do!
Hear more from Georgie here: https://georgiebullphotography.home.blog/
The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!
Donate to Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants
The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.
The Shark Trust’s citizen science project is to monitor and assess basking sharks through sightings; encouraging data collection, community engagement, and promoting nature accessibility. This initiative aims to enhance health and wellbeing by fostering a deeper connection with British Sharks.
Campaign Aims
- Increase citizen science reporting of Basking Sharks and other shark sightings to help inform shark and ray conservation.
- Provide educational talks about the diverse range of sharks and rays in British waters and accessible identification guides!
- Create engaging and fun information panels on how to ID the amazing sharks and rays we have on our doorstep! These can be used on coastal paths around the Southwest. With activities and information on how you can make a difference for sharks and rays!
- Promote mental wellbeing through increasing time in nature and discovering the wonders beneath the waves!
Donate, and double your impact. Click Here
Marine Life & Conservation
Leading UK-based shark conservation charity, the Shark Trust, is delighted to announce tour operator Diverse Travel as a Corporate Patron
Corporate Patrons provide a valuable boost to the work of The Shark Trust. The Trust team works globally to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, engaging with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses and supporters to further shark conservation.
Specialist tour operator Diverse Travel has operated since 2014 and is committed to offering its guests high quality, sustainable scuba diving holidays worldwide. Working together with the Shark Trust will enable both organisations to widen engagement and encourage divers and snorkellers to actively get involved in shark conservation.
“Sharks are truly at the heart of every diver and at Diverse Travel, we absolutely share that passion. There is nothing like seeing a shark in the wild – it’s a moment that stays with you forever!” says Holly Bredin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Diverse Travel.
“We’re delighted to celebrate our 10th year of business by becoming a Corporate Patron of the Shark Trust. This is an exciting partnership for Diverse and our guests. We will be donating on behalf of every person who books a holiday with us to contribute towards their vital shark conservation initiatives around the world. We will also be working together with the Trust to inspire divers, snorkellers and other travellers to take an active role – at home and abroad – in citizen science projects and other activities.”
Paul Cox, CEO of The Shark Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting partnership and we’re thrilled to be working with Diverse Travel to enable more divers and travellers to get involved with sharks and shark conservation. Sharks face considerable conservation challenges but, through collaboration and collective action, we can secure a brighter future for sharks and their ocean home. This new partnership takes us one more valuable step towards that goal.”
For more information about the Shark Trust visit their website here.
For more about Diverse Travel click here.
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