Trophic interactions of fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) with black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) detrital matter as a result of mangrove encroachment; 2018 and 2019

Woody plant encroachment is reshaping communities in both terrestrial and coastal environments, but little is known about its effects on basal consumers. We used interactions between fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) and the encroaching mangrove Avicennia germinans in Gulf of Mexico salt marshes to explore trophic interactions between basal consumers and encroaching shrubs. Fiddler crabs were collected from wetlands in Galveston, Texas in summer 2018 and 2019 and used in a series of food preference and food quality trials. Through these trials we collected data on the relative attractiveness and quality of black mangroves and smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) as food sources for fiddler crabs.