Is the Sand Bubbler Crab (Scopimera globosa) an Effective Indicator for Assessing Sandy Beach Urbanization and Adjacent Terrestrial Ecological Quality?

Urbanization in South Korea has significantly impacted the country’s sandy beach ecosystems. In our study, we investigated the population responses of sand bubbler crabs (Scopimera globosa) to beach urbanization and assessed the impact of adjacent terrestrial ecological quality. We employed the urbanization index to measure the urbanization levels of two sandy beaches and the remote-sensing ecological index (RSEI) to evaluate the ecological quality of adjacent terrestrial areas. The sampling of sand bubbler crab populations was conducted over five months. Our results show that urbanization significantly influences sand bubbler crab populations. While the ecological quality of adjacent terrestrial areas does not directly affect the crab populations, the land surface temperature (LST) of surrounding lands has a significant impact on sand bubbler crab biomass. These results suggest that sand bubbler crabs may serve as a useful indicator of anthropogenic disturbance on sandy beaches. This study provides critical ecological insights and offers a novel perspective for developing effective conservation strategies in South Korea’s sandy beach ecosystems.