Hermit Crabs

Dead whales have been found with hundreds of pounds of plastic in their stomachs. Birds mistaken plastic for food and feed it to their hungry babies. Turtles suffocate because straws get stuck in their nostrils. If those facts aren't enough to convince you that pastic is having a hugely negative impact on nature, here's another example: the hermit crab.

The bodies of hermit crabs lack a hard protective carapace (shell), so they require the use of a found shell or hollow object for shelter and protection. As hermit crabs grow their shell become a tighter fit, so they need to trade up for a larger, better suited shell. If abandoned shell options are limited, this can be achieved through a fascinating organized exchange with other crabs of various sizes looking to trade up.

One mechanism that facilitates the upgrade of a hermit crabs shell is through the emission of a chemical signal from a dead crab, essentially notifying others that there is a shell available and attracting crabs to come and take it over.

Hundreds of thousands of hermit crabs die every year, because they are confusing plastic debris as empty shells. To make matters worse, because of the mentioned chemical emission, crabs that get trapped in or fall into containers and die, emit the signal and lures other crabs to their death, creating a gruesome chain reaction.

Hermit crabs play a crucial role in their natural environments. They aerate and fertilize soil, decompose, and help to dispurse seeds, allowing for a healthy ecosystem and biodiversity.

This little one shared a beautiful sunset with me on an beach in Okinawa.

Dr. Cristina Allen ND