Abstract¶
This book outlines the methods used by the Global Wetlands Project to monitor crab biodiversity using cameras and computer vision algorithms. Crabs are a keystone group in mangrove and coastal ecosystems: through their bioturbation activities they act as coastal engineers, altering the physical and chemical properties of sediments, influencing vegetation dynamics, and providing an important food source for other species. Brachyuran crabs, in particular, are among the most dominant taxa in mangrove forests in terms of both density and biomass. Yet despite their ecological importance, they remain relatively understudied. The methods described in this book aim to expand the scale, consistency, and scope at which we can observe, quantify, and understand crab populations and their roles in mangrove ecosystems.
This work was supported by an anonymous grant to the Global Wetlands Project.
The Global Wetlands Project¶
Purpose¶
Motivation¶
Crabs play key roles in coastal and marine ecosystems, yet methods for studying them vary widely across regions. This project aims to:
Document field protocols for crab surveys using images, computer vision and AI
Provide standardized data formats for global comparison
Share open-source tools for preprocessing and analysis
Build a global community of practice around crab ecology
Data Availability¶
Content and code for reproducing this book can be found in the book’s GitHub repository