00:00These calm waters on the southern coast of Australia belie the frenetic mystery that's
00:10unfolding beneath them.
00:18The giant spider crab or great spider crab, which is the species we have here gathering
00:22in big numbers, is a very mysterious species so there's not much that's known at all about
00:30its ecology and about its life cycle.
00:33Thousands of crabs come here each year to shed their old shells.
00:38It's not known how many there are, where they come from or why they gather, although it's
00:44thought they're seeking safety in numbers while they're vulnerable.
00:52Dr Elodie Kamplas has had underwater cameras monitoring this year's aggregation.
00:58We took GPS points for them all so we're now navigating to this point, Gunny will be in
01:03the water finding them and bringing them back to the surface.
01:11The location of the crabs has become a closely guarded secret for many locals here in Port
01:16Phillip Bay after past clashes with fishers and a campaign to protect the species during
01:23molting.
01:33Deakin University started its research two years ago but funding is minimal and inconsistent.
01:40There's no guarantee the cameras will go out again next year.
01:44We know so little about spotter crabs but also a lot of species on what's called the
01:48Great Southern Reef, so the southern coastline of Australia, so for me that's very concerning
01:53and the more information we have about this species, the more we know what pressures they
01:59might be under and how to look after them really.
02:02Eight cameras have been underwater for the past month and they've recorded thousands
02:08and thousands of images, so now it's hoped that members of the public can help check
02:13them all.
02:14These are the images that are collected.
02:17They're put online where citizen scientists can review them.
02:21People can also log other crab sightings.
02:24It's super important.
02:26We have limited capacity and we have a vast number of images, so yeah, people helping
02:33us review and annotate images is really crucial.
02:38But there's a long way to go.
02:40It's been great through citizen science to get involvement from the community but really
02:46we need more support and long-term funding to be able to sustain that effort and really
02:52answer all the questions that we have about spotter crabs.
02:55Until then, they'll remain a riddle wrapped in a new shell.
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