CIE’s Wild Webinars 2022 – An army of claw-some friends

Admin CIE Seminars

Deakin University’s Centre for Integrative Ecology presents its Wild Webinars 2022 on-line public seminar series. The series brings exciting science stories live into your evening. Kick back and be regaled by the latest discoveries in ecology, conservation, evolution and sustainability presented by CIE’s leading research experts.

Every winter, in the heart of Port Phillip Bay, a truly amazing natural phenomenon unravels: the gathering of thousands and thousands of great spider crabs. Those crabs, which come to the shallows together to seek safety in numbers are on a mission: in order to grow, they need to moult whilst dodging hungry rays and other predators. The spider crabs and their aggregations have been featured across the world – Sir David Attenborough himself featured this extraordinary event in BBC Blue Planet II.

But would you believe that despite all this attention, we know very little about spider crab biology and ecology? Elodie and her team at Deakin University are here to change that and they need your help! Elodie will tell you all about how you can take the plunge, and become the spider crabs’ friends by helping scientists gather information on their whereabouts to understand their aggregations better.

The Spider Crab Watch Citizen Science program is seeking the help of everyone, from recreational fishermen, divers, charter tour operators and boating enthusiasts to join ‘Spider Crab Watch’ so that data can be collated to work out not only why the amazing natural phenomenon happens, but also where and when it’s happening.

About Elodie: Elodie holds a PhD from Deakin University on seabird ecology, following degrees in marine biology and ecology, studying across Europe, the US and Madagascar working with fishermen and dugongs. Elodie led the Remember The Wild initiative aimed at fostering stewardship for Naarm (Port Phillip Bay) and its connected waterways. Elodie now works with the Blue Carbon Lab as project manager and science communicator, and as a Research Fellow at Deakin University, working on great spider aggregations within Naarm.

Follow Elodie in Twitter.

Find more information about CIE’s Wild Webinars 2022 HERE.