Paper on patterns of mangrove crab larval settlements in East Africa

A new paper by Stefano and his collaborators from the University of Florence, Italy, Rhodes University and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, South Africa, has been published in Marine Ecology Progress Series. In this study, we deployed artificial collectors in two vegetation zones of Kenyan and South African mangroves to quantify larval settlement of mangrove crabs. We found that settlement was correlated across species with tidal amplitude on both short and long time scales and focused on the vegetation zones occupied by conspecific adults. The study confirms the importance of maintaining patterns of water flow within the mangroves to support both the vegetation and the associated fauna. The paper can be found here: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v626/p123-133/

A view of Mngazana estuary, one of the study sites of the upcoming paper