Every winter, in the heart of Port Phillip Bay and parts of the Great Southern Reef, a truly amazing natural phenomenon unravels: the gathering of thousands and thousands of great spider crabs. Those crabs come to the shallows together to seek safety in numbers and they are on a mission. In order to grow, they need to shed their hard shells and expand their soft flesh before hardening a new, bigger and shinier shell. Dodging hungry predators on the hunt for a soft crab at that time of year is tricky business – the best place to be is in the middle of a pile, protected by other crabs!
The spider crabs and their aggregations have been captivating people locally and internationally – Sir David Attenborough himself featured this natural wonder which happens nowhere else in the world in BBC Blue Planet II.
Would you believe that despite all this attention, we know very little about spider crab biology and ecology? Dr Elodie Camprasse and her team at Deakin University are here to change that and are using a mix of traditional and citizen science to study spider crab aggregations. Come hear what is being done to solve spider crab mysteries and how you can get involved in the research.
Dr Elodie Camprasse is a marine ecologist with a passion for scuba diving, underwater photography and science communication. Her passion for the ocean and desire to understand and protect marine life originates from her early experience of learning scuba diving as a teenager.
Elodie came to Australia about 8 years ago to do her PhD at Deakin University on seabird hunting strategies. She fell in love with Australia's biodiversity, particularly in urban areas, above and below the surface.
Elodie has a wide range of interests including human-wildlife conflicts, citizen science, nature connection and marine ecology.
She regularly takes part in outreach activities, was a finalist in Deakin University’s 3-minute thesis competition and has presented her research to the general public on several occasions on radio, at community events and through articles for The Conversation and the Yachting Times.
Previously a project manager for nature-connection charity Remember The Wild, Elodie has led projects and initiatives aimed at connecting people with the local environment and increasing appreciation and stewardship for the marine world.
Elodie now leads the implementation of the citizen science program Spider Crab Watch, and provides support to implement traditional research, to gather data on the mysterious great spider crabs and their aggregations. She is passionate about increasing the public’s awareness of the amazing biodiversity of the Great Southern Reef and filling gaps in knowledge that surrounds many of its inhabitants.
Kila majira ya baridi kali, katikati ya Ghuba ya Port Phillip na sehemu za Great Southern Reef, tukio la asili la kushangaza linatokea: kukusanyika kwa maelfu na maelfu ya mbawakawa wakubwa. Panya hao huja kwenye maji yasiyo na kina kirefu pamoja ili kutafuta usalama kwa idadi kubwa na wana kazi ya kufanya. Ili kukua, wanahitaji kuondoa magamba yao magumu na kupanua nyama yao laini kabla ya kuimarisha magamba mapya, makubwa na yenye kung'aa. Kuepuka wawindaji wenye njaa wanaotafuta kamba laini wakati huo wa mwaka ni jambo gumu - mahali pazuri pa kuwa ni katikati ya rundo, likiwa limehifadhiwa na kamba wengine! "Mwitu wa spider crab na makundi yake yamekuwa yakivutia watu wa ndani na wa kimataifa.Sir David Attenborough mwenyewe alielezea maajabu haya ya asili ambayo hayatokei mahali pengine popote ulimwenguni katika ""BBC Blue Planet II.""" Je, unaweza kuamini kwamba licha ya uangalifu huo wote, tunajua mambo machache sana kuhusu biolojia na ikolojia ya kamba-mwitu? Elodie Campresse na timu yake katika Chuo Kikuu cha Deakin wamekuja kubadilisha hali hiyo na wanatumia mchanganyiko wa sayansi ya jadi na ya raia kujifunza makundi ya spider crab. Jifunze jinsi ya kugundua aina ya nyigu na jinsi ya kushiriki katika utafiti huo. Elodie Camprasse ni mtaalamu wa mazingira ya baharini na shauku ya kupiga mbizi, upigaji picha chini ya maji na mawasiliano ya sayansi. Shauku yake kwa bahari na hamu ya kuelewa na kulinda maisha ya baharini inatokana na uzoefu wake wa mapema wa kujifunza kupiga mbizi kama kijana. Elodie alikuja Australia miaka minane iliyopita kufanya PhD yake katika Chuo Kikuu cha Deakin juu ya mikakati ya kuwinda ndege wa baharini. Alipendezwa na utofauti wa viumbe wa Australia, hasa katika maeneo ya mijini, juu na chini ya uso. Elodie ana mbalimbali ya maslahi ikiwa ni pamoja na migogoro ya binadamu-wildlife, sayansi ya raia, uhusiano wa asili na ikolojia ya baharini. Yeye mara kwa mara inachukua sehemu katika shughuli za ufikiaji, alikuwa mshindi katika mashindano ya Thesis ya Deakin ya dakika 3 na amewasilisha utafiti wake kwa umma kwa mara kadhaa kwenye redio, kwenye hafla za jamii na kupitia makala kwa The Conversation na Yachting Times. Kabla ya kuwa meneja wa mradi wa shirika la misaada la kuunganisha asili Remember the Wild, Elodie amesababisha miradi na mipango ya kuunganisha watu na mazingira ya ndani na kuongeza uthamini na usimamizi wa ulimwengu wa baharini. Elodie sasa anaongoza utekelezaji wa mpango wa sayansi ya raia Spider Crab Watch, na hutoa msaada wa kutekeleza utafiti wa jadi, kukusanya data juu ya spider crabs kubwa ya siri na makundi yao. Yeye ni shauku juu ya kuongeza ufahamu wa umma wa ajabu ya viumbe mbalimbali ya Great Southern Reef na kujaza mapungufu katika maarifa ambayo huzunguka wengi wa wakazi wake.