Photo of the day

Scuttling across the marshy wetlands and brackish waters of mangrove forests, the elusive purple mangrove crab is a curious crustacean that helps to store carbon by consuming carbon rich leaf litter and burrowing it into the ground. By helping to recycle nutrients, in particular nitrogen, mangrove crabs are known to improve the growth and regeneration of ocean trees, with crab burrows also providing a hidden habitat for many aquatic organisms. A vital part of the ocean tree ecosystem, purple mangrove crabs are one of the only crustaceans that can climb trees, scurrying up at high tide to protect themselves from lurking predators 🍃 🦀