Reductions in ghost crab populations reflect urbanization of beaches and dunes

Journal of Coastal Research

Volumn 28, Issue 1, 2012, Pages 123-131

  Noriega, R ^a   Schlacher, T A ^b   Smeuninx, B ^a  

^a GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

^b UNIVERSITY OF THE SUNSHINE COAST   (Australia)

Author keywords

beaches; dunes; ecological indicators; Ghost crabs; human impacts

Indexed keywords

ANTHROPOGENIC EFFECT; BEACH; BIOINDICATOR; BIOMONITORING; BLEACHING; COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT; CRAB; DUNE; HABITAT CONSERVATION; HABITAT FRAGMENTATION; POPULATION DENSITY; URBANIZATION;

DECAPODA (CRUSTACEA); OCYPODE; OCYPODIDAE;

EID: 84856018518     PISSN: 07490208     EISSN: 15515036     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-09-00173.1     Document Type: Article

References (33)

1. Barros, F., 2001. Ghost Crabs as tools for rapid assessment of human impacts on exposed sandy beaches. Biological Conservation, 97, 399-404. (Pubitemid 32122599)
2. Blott, S.J. and Pye, K., 2001. GRADISTAT: a grain size distribution and statistics package for the analysis of unconsolidated sediments. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 26, 1237-1248. (Pubitemid 32980826)
3. Christoffers, E.W., 1986. Ecology of the Ghost Crab Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius) on Assateague Island, Maryland, and the Impacts of Various Human Uses of the Beach on their Distribution and Abundance. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University, PhD thesis.
4. Defeo, O.; McLachlan, A.; Schlacher, T.A.; Dugan, J.; Jones, A.; Lastra, M., and Scapini, F., 2009. Threats to sandy beach ecosystems: a review. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 81, 1-12.
5. Dugan, J.E.; Hubbard, D.M.; McCrary, M.D., and Pierson, M.O., 2003. The response of macrofauna communities and shorebirds to macrophyte wrack subsidies on exposed sandy beaches of southern California. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 58, 25-40. (Pubitemid 37375042)
6. Dugan, J.E.; Hubbard, D.M.; Rodil, I.F.; Revell, D.L., and Schroeter, S., 2008. Ecological effects of coastal armoring on sandy beaches. Marine Ecology, 28, 160-170. (Pubitemid 351796521)
7. Gold Coast City Council Staff, 2003. Policy 15: Management of Coastal Dune Areas. Gold Coast, Australia: Gold Coast City Council, 1p.
8. Jones, D. and Morgan, G., 2002. A Field Guide to Crustaceans of Australian Waters. Sydney, Australia: Western Australian Museum/Reed New Holland Publication.
9. Jones, D.A., 1972. Aspects of the ecology and behaviour of Ocypode ceratophthalmus (Pallas) and O. kublii de Haan (Crustacea: Ocypodidae). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 8, 31-43.
10. Klein, Y.L.; Osleeb, J.P., and Viola, M.R., 2004. Tourism-generated earnings in the coastal zone: a regional analysis. Journal of Coastal Research, 20, 1080-1088. (Pubitemid 39558567)
11. Lazarow, N.; Tomlinson, R.; Panteau, R.; Strauss, D.; Noriega, R.; Kirkpatrick, S.; Stuart, G., and Hunt, S., 2008. Gold Coast Shoreline Management Plan. Gold Coast City, Australia: Griffith Centre for Coastal Management, Griffith University.
12. Llewellyn, P.J. and Shackley, S.E., 1996. The effects of mechanical beach cleaning on invertebrate populations. British Wildlife, 7, 147-155.
13. Lucrezi, S.; Schlacher, T.A., and Robinson, D.A., 2009. Human disturbance as a cause of bias in ecological indicators for sandy beaches: experimental evidence for the effects of human trampling on ghost crabs (Ocypode spp.). Ecological Indicators, 9, 913-921.
14. Lucrezi, S.; Schlacher, T.A., and Walker, S., 2009. Monitoring human impacts on sandy shore ecosystems: a test of ghost crabs (Ocypode spp.) as biological indicators on an urban beach. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 152, 413-424.
15. Moss, D. and McPhee, D.P., 2006. The impacts of recreational fourwheel driving on the abundance of the ghost crab (Ocypode cordimanus) on subtropical beaches in SE Queensland. Coastal Management, 34, 133-140. (Pubitemid 43101686)
16. Nordstrom, K.F., 2000. Beaches and Dunes on Developed Coasts. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.
17. Nordstrom, K.F.; Lampe, R., and Vandemark, L.M., 2000. Reestablishing naturally-functioning dunes on developed coasts. Environmental Management, 25, 37-51.
18. Quijón, P.; Jaramillo, E., and Contreras, H., 2001. Distribution and habitat structure of Ocypode gaudichaudii, in sandy beaches of northern Chile. Crustaceana, 74(1), 91-103. (Pubitemid 32276651)
19. Schlacher, T.A.; Dugan, J., Schoeman, D.S.; Lastra, M.; Jones, A.; Scapini, F.; McLachlan, A., and Defeo, O., 2007. Sandy beaches at the brink. Diversity and Distributions, 13, 556-560. (Pubitemid 47262883)
20. Schlacher, T.A. and Morrison, J.M., 2008. Beach disturbance caused by off-road vehicles (ORVs) on sandy shores: relationship with traffic volumes and a new method to quantify impacts using image based data acquisition and analysis. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 56, 1646-1649.
21. Schlacher, T.A.; Schoeman, D.S.; Dugan, J.; Lastra, M.; Jones, A.; Scapini, F., and McLachlan, A., 2008. Sandy beach ecosystems: key features, sampling issues, management challenges and climate change impacts. Marine Ecology, 29(S1), 70-90. (Pubitemid 351796514)
22. Schlacher, T.A.; Schoeman, D.S.; Lastra, M.; Jones, A.; Dugan, J.; Scapini, F., and McLachlan, A., 2006. Neglected ecosystems bear the brunt of change. Ethology, Ecology and Evolution, 18, 349-351. (Pubitemid 46102624)
23. Schlacher, T.A.; Thompson, L.M.C., and Price, S., 2007. Vehicles versus conservation of invertebrates on sandy beaches: quantifying direct mortalities inflicted by off-road vehicles (ORVs) on ghost crabs. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 28, 1-14.
24. Schlacher, T.A.; Thompson, L.M.C., and Walker, J., 2008. Mortalities caused by off-road vehicles (ORVs) to a key member of sandy beach assemblages, the surf clam Donax deltoides. Hydrobiologia, 610, 345-350.
25. Sheppard, N.; Pitt, K.A., and Schlacher, T.A., 2009. Sub-lethal effects of off-road vehicles (ORVs) on surf clams on sandy beaches. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 380, 113-118.
26. Steiner, A.J. and Leatherman, S.P., 1981. Recreational impacts on the distribution of ghost crabs (Ocypode quadrata). Biological Conservation, 20, 111-122.
27. Strachan, P.H.; Smith, R.C.; Hamilton, D.A.; Taylor, A.C., and Atkinson, R.J., 1999. Studies on the ecology and behaviour of the ghost crab, Ocypode cursor (L.) in northern Cyprus. Scientia Marina, 63(1), 51-60. (Pubitemid 30081023)
28. Thompson, L.M.C. and Schlacher, T.A., 2008. Physical damage to coastal foredunes and ecological impacts caused by vehicle tracks associated with beach camping on sandy shores: a case study from Fraser Island, Australia. Journal of Coastal Conservation, 12, 67-82.
29. Turra, A.; Goncalves, M.A.O., and Denadai, M.R., 2005. Spatial distribution of the ghost crab ocypode quadrata in low energy tide dominated sandy beaches. Journal of Natural History, 39(23), 2163-2177. (Pubitemid 40689951)
30. Valero-Pacheco, E.; Alvarez, F.; Abarca-Arenas, L.G., and Escobar, M., 2007. Population density and activity pattern of the ghost crab, Ocypode quadrata, in Veracruz, Mexico. Crustaceana, 80(3), 313-325. (Pubitemid 47181902)
31. Walker, J. and Hopkins, M.S., 1990. Vegetation. In: McDonald, R.C.; Isbell, R.F.; Speight, J.G.; Walker, J., and Hopkins, M.S. (eds.), Australian Soil and Land Survey Handbook. Melbourne, Australia: Inkata Press, pp. 58-86.
32. Walker, S.J.; Schlacher, T.A., and Thompson, L.M.C., 2008. Habitat modification in a dynamic environment: the influence of a small artificial groyne on macrofaunal assemblages of a sandy beach. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 79, 24-34.
33. Wolcott, T.G., 1978. Ecological role of ghost crabs, Ocypode cordimanus (Fabricius) on an ocean beach: scavengers or predators? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 31, 67-82.