How Many Fiddler Crabs?

Fiddler crabs are an important decomposer in the salt marsh. They keep the marsh clean, add nutrients back to the sediment, and help aerate the marsh with their burrows; because of this they can be used as an indicator of the health of the marsh.

Students conduct their own field study, figuring out how best to count fiddler crabs and using scientific sampling techniques to assess the health of Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. 0ften, our lessons can be just as beneficial for the teachers as the students. We are always recruiting new volunteer educators! Seniors from Wando High School helped fourth graders from Jennie Moore Elementary calculate how many fiddler crabs are living in the refuge.