The effects of anthropogenic marine debris on the behavior of the purple shore crab, Hemigrapsus nudus

Anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) is exponentially accumulating in intertidal zones around the world. Because AMD is often mixed in with natural substrates such as rocks and pieces of driftwood, we explored if the purple shore crab (Hemigrapsus nudus) showed preference or avoidance behaviors for natural and AMD substrates in a laboratory setting. Crabs showed a preference for natural substrates and avoided substrates such as glass jars, chip bags, and plastic boxes. With micro and macro plastics piling up in littoral zones around the world, future studies will elucidate if and how the patterns seen in this crab compared to other species.