Can land crabs be part of the sustainable aquarium industry?

TURNER_P25ARIES

Can land crabs be part of the sustainable aquarium industry?

TURNER_P25ARIES

Project Description

Supervisors

Dr Lucy Turner, Biological and Marine Sciences (SoBMS), University of Plymouth – contact me

Dr Oliver Tills, SoBMS/UoP

Professor John Spicer, SoBMS/UoP

Dr David Roberts, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent

 

Project background

Globally the tropical aquatic aquarium trade is a multi-million-dollar industry, which traditionally has comprised wild-caught individuals, although advances in captive-breeding technologies have started to change this. Land crabs are growing in popularity as aquarium/terrarium species with nearly all individuals traded wild-harvested. In recent years, a few species of anomuran crabs have been bred by hobbyists/small-scale breeders for trade through e-commerce. At the same time there have been major gains in our understanding of land crab physiology and development, and the potential for ecophysiology to inform the health of invertebrates in the tropical aquatic aquarium trade has been highlighted. This means that we now have the potential to culture healthier individuals of these species on a larger scale. This delivers the possibility that these increasingly sought-after, highly valued species will no longer need to be wild caught, significantly contributing to the long-term sustainability of wild populations, and the tropical aquatic aquarium trade. The aim of this project is to determine the conditions for captive breeding of popular ornamental crab species. Representatives of two land crab genera with different life histories and popular with hobbyists Metasesarma aubryi and Geosesarma spp. will be our model species used in this project. To do this you will (a) characterise their breeding behaviour, (b) ascertain paternity rates for captive-bred crabs, (c) follow and describe their development, (d) characterise the ontogeny of key physiological functions, namely osmo- and iono-regulation, acid-base balance and metabolism in early life stages, and (e) determine the effects of abiotic factors (temperature, salinity, acidification and/or hypoxia) on these. (f) A desk-based literature review and internet site survey will also be undertaken to assess the global trade in land crabs.

For this exciting and innovative interdisciplinary project we seek a candidate with enthusiasm for, and ideally experience of some aspect of invertebrate developmental biology and/or ecophysiology. A willingness to travel internationally is essential. The successful candidate will undertake training in data mining and analysis, animal husbandry, behavioural ecology, developmental biology and ecophysiology, as well as molecular ecology techniques.

Acceptable first degree subjects: Biology, Developmental Biology, Zoology, Marine Biology

References

  • Calado, R., Lin, J., Rhyne, A.L., Araújo, R., and Narciso, L. (2003) Marine ornamental decapods—Popular, pricey, and poorly studied. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 23, 963–973.
  • Lucu Č., and Turner LM (2024) Ionic regulatory strategies of crabs: the transition from water to land. Frontiers in Physiology, 15, 1399194.
  • Conway Holroyd, S., Spicer, J.I., Ellis, R.P., and Turner, L.M. (submitted) How can ecophysiology inform the health of ornamental shrimp during trade and transportation? Oceanography and Marine Biology – An Annual Review.
  • Tills, O., Holmes, L.A., Quinn, E., Everett, T., Truebano, M., and Spicer, J.I. (2023) Phenomics enables measurement of complex responses of developing animals to global environmental drivers. Science of the Total Environment, 858, 159555.
  • Roberts, D.L., Mun, K. and Milner-Gulland, E. (2021) A systematic survey of online trade: trade in Saiga antelope horn on Russian-language websites, Oryx. Cambridge University Press, pp. 1-8.

Key Information

  • This studentship has been shortlisted for funding under the UKRI NERC DLA funding scheme and will commence on 1 October 2025. The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 8th January 2025.
  • Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a fully-funded studentship, which covers fees, maintenance stipend (£19,237 p.a. for 2024/25) and research funding. A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees being waived by the registering university. Please note however that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK, such as visa costs or the health surcharge.
  • ARIES postgradute researcher (PGRs) benefit from bespoke graduate training and ARIES provides £2,500 to every student for access to external training, travel and conferences, on top of all Research Costs associated with the project. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses.
  • ARIES is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion in all areas of its operation. We encourage enquiries and applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation and transgender status. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience, and our recruitment process considers potential with the same weighting as past experience.
  • All ARIES studentships may be undertaken on a part-time or full-time basis. International applicants should check whether there are any conditions of visa or imigration permission that preclude part-time study. All advertised project proposals have been developed with consideration of a safe, inclusive, and appropriate research and fieldwork environment with respect to protected characteristics. If you have any concerns please contact us.
  • For further information, please contact the supervisor. To apply for this Studentship follow the instructions at the bottom of the page or click the 'apply now' link.
  • ARIES is required by our funders to collect Equality and Diversity Information from all of our applicants. The information you provide will be used solely for monitoring and statistical purposes; it will remain confidential, and will be stored on the UEA sharepoint server. Data will not be shared with those involved in making decisions on the award of Studentships, and will have no influence on the success of your application. It will only be shared outside of this group in an anonymised and aggregated form. You will be ask to complete the form by the University to which you apply.
  • If funded under the BBSRC-NERC DLA scheme, ARIES studentships will be subject to UKRI terms and conditions. Postgraduate Researchers are expected to live within reasonable distance of their host organisation for the duration of their studentship. See https://www.ukri.org/publications/terms-and-conditions-for-training-funding/ for more information

Apply Now

Apply now via the  University of Plymouth Application Portal