Vermeiren, Peter, and Sheaves, Marcus (2014) A remote photographic technique for high replication, large scale understanding of spatial distribution patterns of intertidal crabs. Hydrobiologia, 724 (1). pp. 79-89.

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Abstract

Intertidal crabs are intricately involved in many estuarine processes. However, their integration in general applicable ecological models is limited by a lack of understanding regarding their landscape level spatial distribution patterns. This gap, in part, reflects on the time consuming sampling methods employed which limit the scale and level of replication in spatial distribution studies. We developed a new photographic technique tailored towards high replication, large scale sampling of spatial distribution patterns of intertidal crabs occupying bare, low intertidal banks with limited topographic heterogeneity. Therefore, photographs were taken from a boat maintained at a distance at which crabs were not disturbed. After standardisation, estimates of abundance, relative occurrence and presence/absence of crabs were reliably obtained. Compared to pitfall trapping, hand catch and visual observation, photography collected a higher number of replicates in a shorter timeframe, allowing sampling across large areas and providing better representation of species occurring in lower densities. However, small, cryptic species were not as well represented and outcomes are influenced by the crab's activity patterns. Overall, photography provides a new, complementary sampling technique and has the potential to rapidly produce extensive data on crab spatial distributions, making it attractive for landscape level spatial ecology research and monitoring.

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