The giant mud crab (Scylla serrata) is an iconic species and crucial fishery resource widespread throughout the Indo-Western Pacific Ocean, including Australia. Although research into this species has been increasing in recent years, several knowledge gaps on specific stages of its life history remain. Some gaps relate to the ecology of female mud crabs and their spawning behaviour off Queensland’s east coast. Queensland’s long stretch of shallow coastline crosses multiple distinct bioregions influenced by the East Australian Current and characterised by the broad continental shelf and Great Barrier Reef. Female mud crabs are protected from harvest in Queensland, giving the opportunity to study them in their natural habitat.
We will present results of a PhD research project investigating the ecology of female mud crabs on Queensland’s east coast. The project takes a mixed methods approach, including particle tracking simulations to calculate probabilities of larval recruitment, field surveys collecting demographic and morphometric data in fished and unfished areas, and the use of acoustic telemetry to investigate the movements of females within an unfished estuary and record departures from the estuary. A review of potential methods to track ovigerous female mud crabs during the seaward spawning migration was also conducted.