Markus Frederich publishes paper on invasive crabs in the Antarctic

Associate Professor of Marine Sciences Markus Frederich, Ph.D., published a paper titled, “Prospects for the Return of Shell-Crushing Crabs to Antarctica” in the Journal of Biogeography. His guest editorial describes the first record of a crab-like crustacean in the Antarctic and its potential consequences on the Antarctic ecosystem.

Frederich first collected several specimen of this crab (Halicarcinus planatus) 15 years ago in Punta Arenas, Chile, and predicted that it could one day appear and thrive in the Antarctic. His prediction was realized in 2012 when a former colleague, Rick Price,  discovered the same species of crab on Deception Island, Antarctica.

Working with Sven Thatje at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, Great Britain, and Antarctic Researcher, Richard Aronson at the Florida Institute of Technology, Fredrich and his colleagues composed a paper documenting the discovery.

Together, they provide insight into the physiological pre-adaptations, ecology, life history and future threats caused by continued invasions of this species. 

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