Susanne Bähr
@coralsandcrabs.bsky.social
Marine scientist 🪸PhD candidate based at Red Sea shores 🔬 studying coral-associated crustaceans 🦀 enthusiastic diver and uw photographer 🐠
(4) By calculating turnover and mortality rates, we show that some reefs maintained reproductively active and resilient populations despite extensive bleaching, while compounded stressors at one site led to a population collapse.
June 18, 2025 at 1:06 PM
(4) By calculating turnover and mortality rates, we show that some reefs maintained reproductively active and resilient populations despite extensive bleaching, while compounded stressors at one site led to a population collapse.
(3) Fate-tracking revealed surprisingly high population turnover with steady colonisation and extinction events as well as settlement preferences for already inhabited hosts.
June 18, 2025 at 1:06 PM
(3) Fate-tracking revealed surprisingly high population turnover with steady colonisation and extinction events as well as settlement preferences for already inhabited hosts.
(2) We fate-tracked nearly 800 crabs for 2 years, capturing the 2023 Red Sea bleaching event. In addition, we performed belt transect surveys for comparison. These surveys showed that reef-specific effects drive gall crab abundance and prevalence over cross-shelf gradients.
June 18, 2025 at 1:06 PM
(2) We fate-tracked nearly 800 crabs for 2 years, capturing the 2023 Red Sea bleaching event. In addition, we performed belt transect surveys for comparison. These surveys showed that reef-specific effects drive gall crab abundance and prevalence over cross-shelf gradients.
(3)The results were surprising: no consistent negative impact of gall crabs on photosynthetic efficiency.
In some cases, we even observed slight increases.
These findings suggest that crabs take a neutral role toward the algal symbionts of stony corals.
In some cases, we even observed slight increases.
These findings suggest that crabs take a neutral role toward the algal symbionts of stony corals.
April 22, 2025 at 10:37 AM
(3)The results were surprising: no consistent negative impact of gall crabs on photosynthetic efficiency.
In some cases, we even observed slight increases.
These findings suggest that crabs take a neutral role toward the algal symbionts of stony corals.
In some cases, we even observed slight increases.
These findings suggest that crabs take a neutral role toward the algal symbionts of stony corals.
(2) Here we applied this technique—a method typically used to assess stress responses in coral algal symbionts—to coral-crab associations for the first time. This allowed us to look for potentially concealed local effects the crabs might have on the zooxanthellae in their hosts' tissue.
April 22, 2025 at 10:37 AM
(2) Here we applied this technique—a method typically used to assess stress responses in coral algal symbionts—to coral-crab associations for the first time. This allowed us to look for potentially concealed local effects the crabs might have on the zooxanthellae in their hosts' tissue.
What would a PhD be without a side quest? 🦀🪸
Super excited our study is out in Frontiers in Marine Science!
We tested if gall crabs affect coral algal symbionts using Imaging PAM fluorometry.
Turns out—these tiny tenants don’t stress out the algae.
🔗 doi.org/10.3389/fmar... (1)
Super excited our study is out in Frontiers in Marine Science!
We tested if gall crabs affect coral algal symbionts using Imaging PAM fluorometry.
Turns out—these tiny tenants don’t stress out the algae.
🔗 doi.org/10.3389/fmar... (1)
April 22, 2025 at 10:37 AM
What would a PhD be without a side quest? 🦀🪸
Super excited our study is out in Frontiers in Marine Science!
We tested if gall crabs affect coral algal symbionts using Imaging PAM fluorometry.
Turns out—these tiny tenants don’t stress out the algae.
🔗 doi.org/10.3389/fmar... (1)
Super excited our study is out in Frontiers in Marine Science!
We tested if gall crabs affect coral algal symbionts using Imaging PAM fluorometry.
Turns out—these tiny tenants don’t stress out the algae.
🔗 doi.org/10.3389/fmar... (1)
(5) By performing ancestral state reconstruction and combining the morphology results with a phylogenomic reconstruction, we show that fluorescence is phylogenetically widespread in the family. It evolved once in the genus Opecarcinus and was subsequently retained with varying expression levels.
March 12, 2025 at 1:19 PM
(5) By performing ancestral state reconstruction and combining the morphology results with a phylogenomic reconstruction, we show that fluorescence is phylogenetically widespread in the family. It evolved once in the genus Opecarcinus and was subsequently retained with varying expression levels.
(4) This analysis revealed four distinct fluorescent morphologies (Fluotypes). Each of these fluotypes has distinct characteristics, such as cheliped or abdominal fluorescence.
March 12, 2025 at 1:16 PM
(4) This analysis revealed four distinct fluorescent morphologies (Fluotypes). Each of these fluotypes has distinct characteristics, such as cheliped or abdominal fluorescence.
(3) We developed a fluorescent imaging technique for a multivariate trait analysis based on 27 morphological characters.
March 12, 2025 at 1:14 PM
(3) We developed a fluorescent imaging technique for a multivariate trait analysis based on 27 morphological characters.
(2) We found gall crabs to display a vivid orange fluorescence that is visible without an excitation light source (A). Based on these observations, we hypothesised that it may be an adaptive trait for this family of decapods.
March 12, 2025 at 1:12 PM
(2) We found gall crabs to display a vivid orange fluorescence that is visible without an excitation light source (A). Based on these observations, we hypothesised that it may be an adaptive trait for this family of decapods.
Proud PhD Moment 🦀 My third PhD chapter is finally released to the world, and the cherry on the cake: My photo made the cover of the current #ProcB issue @royalsocietypublishing.org 🪸 check it out here: doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
#CoralReefs #Biodiversity #Fluorescence #Symbiosis #Decapods
#CoralReefs #Biodiversity #Fluorescence #Symbiosis #Decapods
March 12, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Proud PhD Moment 🦀 My third PhD chapter is finally released to the world, and the cherry on the cake: My photo made the cover of the current #ProcB issue @royalsocietypublishing.org 🪸 check it out here: doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
#CoralReefs #Biodiversity #Fluorescence #Symbiosis #Decapods
#CoralReefs #Biodiversity #Fluorescence #Symbiosis #Decapods
Had to dig for a bit but I found it! You can see it in front of it's claw floating through the water. @jopabinia.bsky.social in case you are interested too!
December 8, 2024 at 10:47 AM
Had to dig for a bit but I found it! You can see it in front of it's claw floating through the water. @jopabinia.bsky.social in case you are interested too!
Thank you #ECRS2024, had a great week with fellow coral enthusiasts in Napoli! Presented one of my PhD chapters and got awarded for best oral communication. Congrats also to all my KAUST collegues for their achievements! 🦀💙🧪
July 6, 2024 at 9:42 AM
Thank you #ECRS2024, had a great week with fellow coral enthusiasts in Napoli! Presented one of my PhD chapters and got awarded for best oral communication. Congrats also to all my KAUST collegues for their achievements! 🦀💙🧪
Happy New Year to all of you! Celebrating with this festive looking nudibranch #MarineLife. Hope you are all excited for a new year filled with invert content (and maybe some fish) 🦑🪼🦀
January 4, 2024 at 11:31 AM
Happy New Year to all of you! Celebrating with this festive looking nudibranch #MarineLife. Hope you are all excited for a new year filled with invert content (and maybe some fish) 🦑🪼🦀
Waited a while to share the (literally) most exciting part of my PhD project… Behold the fantastic fluorescence of coral-dwelling gall crabs! Very Christmas-themed if you ask me 🎄Currently busy investigating the evolution and origin of this phenomenon in cryptochirids 🦀🧪✨🦑
December 22, 2023 at 7:18 PM
Waited a while to share the (literally) most exciting part of my PhD project… Behold the fantastic fluorescence of coral-dwelling gall crabs! Very Christmas-themed if you ask me 🎄Currently busy investigating the evolution and origin of this phenomenon in cryptochirids 🦀🧪✨🦑
Sharing this cute little Christmas ornament for some holiday vibes in your feed 🎄🐠 #MarineLife
December 21, 2023 at 12:34 PM
Sharing this cute little Christmas ornament for some holiday vibes in your feed 🎄🐠 #MarineLife
🦋fish of todays fun dive. Have a great weekend everybody! 🦑🐠
December 1, 2023 at 4:46 PM
🦋fish of todays fun dive. Have a great weekend everybody! 🦑🐠
Don‘t they look like little galaxies?
Loved this colourful aggregation of tiny sap-sucking slugs (not nudibranchs) 🐌 #MarineLife
Loved this colourful aggregation of tiny sap-sucking slugs (not nudibranchs) 🐌 #MarineLife
November 27, 2023 at 6:57 PM
Don‘t they look like little galaxies?
Loved this colourful aggregation of tiny sap-sucking slugs (not nudibranchs) 🐌 #MarineLife
Loved this colourful aggregation of tiny sap-sucking slugs (not nudibranchs) 🐌 #MarineLife
Time for another symbiotic decapod living on a bigger invertebrate 🦐 Enjoy this bumble bee shrimp sitting on its sea cucumber host 🦀💙🦑
November 19, 2023 at 5:01 PM
Time for another symbiotic decapod living on a bigger invertebrate 🦐 Enjoy this bumble bee shrimp sitting on its sea cucumber host 🦀💙🦑
Thrilled to see my pet animals on a screen this big! Had a great time talking about my research at ICMERS-3 this morning 🦀🧪🦑
November 14, 2023 at 9:43 AM
Thrilled to see my pet animals on a screen this big! Had a great time talking about my research at ICMERS-3 this morning 🦀🧪🦑
ICMERS just started here at KAUST! Tomorrow, I‘ll be giving a talk about parts of my PhD work revealing that the gall crab communities in the Red Sea are much more dynamic than we expected. 🦀🧪🦑
November 13, 2023 at 10:34 AM
ICMERS just started here at KAUST! Tomorrow, I‘ll be giving a talk about parts of my PhD work revealing that the gall crab communities in the Red Sea are much more dynamic than we expected. 🦀🧪🦑
Fish in pyjama! #MarineLife 🦑💙
November 10, 2023 at 11:23 AM
Fish in pyjama! #MarineLife 🦑💙
Taking a short (mental) break of gall crabs after an intense field session. Hope you are enjoying these shrimps hanging out on their whip coral home as much as I do #MarineLife🦐🦀🦑
November 6, 2023 at 6:03 PM
Taking a short (mental) break of gall crabs after an intense field session. Hope you are enjoying these shrimps hanging out on their whip coral home as much as I do #MarineLife🦐🦀🦑