I am a BSc (Hons) Marine Biology student at the University of Plymouth. My interest in doing this degree stems from regular rock pooling with my dad from about 4 years of age. More recently, I was in the ocean swimming off the coast of Aruba, where I met a smooth trunkfish with a recognisable scar on her side. For 15 days, she swam with me almost all the time I was in the water. Talking to other swimmers, they did not get any attention from her, which made me ask questions, the biggest being, why me? But also, what is the hydrodynamics of such an irregularly shaped fish?

So here I am, a mature student studying for my dream degree. In my foundation year, I did a poster entitled, ‘What makes a good fighter? RHP traits in animal contests’. In it, I examined hermit crabs (Pagurus bernhardus) fighting for resources. This is where my interest in hermit crabs began.

In my first year, I went to France for a course field trip. For a group project, I helped create a poster presentation on whether salinity affects the boldness and stress response recovery times of Pagurus bernhardus, which further stoked my interest in these interesting crustaceans. Ari helped us with our project and, since returning to the UK, gave me the amazing opportunity to help with her research and in particular regarding abiotic stress, climate change and how differences in salinity affect the ability of hermit crabs to react to stressors and hinder their ability to find vital shelter and food. Ari’s study is so important for the welfare of these important intertidal Decapods. Her passion for her research is hard to ignore, and I have caught the bug.

Before being immersed in The World of Hermit Crabs, I would have said that smooth trunkfish were my favourite marine animal, but in spending so much time with the hermit crabs in The Crab Lab, this could change very soon.