Ascension : Conservation Weekly
Submitted by The Islander (Conservation Office) 12.06.2008 (Article Archived on 26.06.2008)

The Conservation Department is continuing work on land crabs on the island.

The Conservation Department is continuing work on land crabs on the island.  We are still conducting weekly monitoring counts at North East Bay to see how the numbers of crabs mating and laying eggs changes over the breeding season.  In addition, we’ve recently begun another project in conjunction with Liza White, a University of Exeter student and SATEC employee, to monitor land crabs on major roads on Ascension. This work consists of conducting counts of crabs, marking the location of the crabs with a GPS, and tagging the crabs with a numbered plastic claw tag.  This study should show how the distribution of crabs changes seasonally in various locations around the island.  If you are interested in learning more about land crabs or volunteering, please ring the Conservation Centre at x6359.