CLIMATE CHANGE

One of the major effects of climate change is rising sea levels. This will have devastating effects for those who own million dollar waterfront properties, but it will have even greater effects on the animals that live in mangrove forests at the water’s edge. As the space available gets smaller and smaller, animals will be increasingly stressed by competition, overcrowding and disrupted life cycles. Intertidal animals are the first to feel the effects of sea level rise. Can they adapt? This project examines the stressors and responses of fiddler crabs to sea level rise in the mangroves of Darwin, Northern Territory.