Ecology of Caribbean King Crabs and their potential use in coral reef restoration

Coral reefs are in decline in the Caribbean as they are worldwide due to several environmental stressors, among them the overgrowth of macroalgae. Caribbean King Crabs (Maguimithrax spinosissimus), the largest crab in the Caribbean, occurs on coral reefs and other rocky habitats but typically at low abundances. Unusual among crabs, it is largely herbivorous prompting us to study its diet, consumption rates, population ecology, and potential use in coral reef restoration by grazing away over-abundant macroalgae. Our lab is also developing and testing new mariculture techniques for the large-scale production of crabs for coral reef restoration.