A diverse and committed group of divers and snorkelers, including many local families and children, have been excluded from enjoying an important natural history event. This includes 7,000+ members of the local snorkelling group. All of these compassionate advocates for conservation are prevented from promoting a deeper connection to crabs among themselves, their family and friends – from appreciating their own natural heritage and wildlife. Yet they remain key to their conservation. Wildlife in the Balanceis a readable romp through diverse areas of natural history, physics and philosophy, it strings together theories and facts with a rare clarity. The reader emerges with an understanding of nature and the forces that shape the biosphere, our only home, and how we are a part of it and dependent on it.”

Some scientists will tell you that knowing the age of spider crabs helps us create models for fisheries. But if you’re staring in the eye of an animal that’s older than you, it begs another question. Can our fisheries exist without them? Should we even be catching them at all? These are key questions for spider crab conservation. This is also the wonder of nature that we need to inspire people to protect them. Science has a role but will never have all the answers From a humanity perspective therefore, we are part of the system that allows ancient trees to exist. But that’s also the system that allows us to exist … alongside other animals. We animals are part and parcel of ecosystems. Ancient trees are one of the stable characteristics of an ecosystem that can support humanity. They are not the reason we exist but a function (Of an ecosystem). A subset of ecosystem processes and structures, where the ecosystem does something that provides an ecosystem service of value to people. of how we exist. If ancient trees die that’s a symptom of an ecosystem that has collapsed to a point that it’s not longer habitable. To maintain continuity of our own survival requires a new way of thinking about ancient trees as much as it does about humans. Ancient trees also depend on wildlife in the balance. The idea that adaptation in trees takes forever because of their long lives and the correspondingly long time between generations proved to be incorrect … the seeds they produce are equipped with all their latest survival strategies … older is wiser with better-adapted offspring.’ Peter Wohlleben, The Power of Trees, (2023)A review in 2017 found that current aging techniques for crustaceans remain questionable. While we can count growth rings in eye stalks or in small bones in the stomach called ossicles this isn’t enough. Growth rings are laid down after each moult but we don’t know how often that happens for given species. Most likely it also varies depending on climate and individual circumstance. It’s likely we may never know exactly how old Port Phillip Bay spider crabs are. These creatures you call mice, you see, they are not quite as they appear. They are merely the protrusion into our dimension of vastly hyperintelligent pandimensional beings.’ – Douglas Adams, 1979. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy This controversy has, sadly, led to an ongoing and rather strict moratorium on sharing information about where the crabs have congregated this year. People who wanted to see this natural marvel – the very same who would want to protect it – have been disappointed. Unfortunately this leads to ill-feeling and a disempowerment of the very people we need to create a change in human values.

But sun bears have had their historic range reduced by over 75%. What remains has seen a 30% reduction in the past 30 years [4]. These days, the vast majority of logging occurs in remaining primary forest, which is almost all core habitat for bears. What is a healthy population? Reading this book may change your mind about almost everything”. Dame Johanna Lumley The Importance of Wildlife in Rebalancing Our Planet As Wollehben bluntly puts it, we can’t live without trees. But that also means rebuilding a world rich with an abundance of diverse wildlife. When fantasy becomes reality After moulting, individual crabs can hunker down and shield themselves beneath hard-shelled others. Half-tonne smooth rays are among their greatest predator – another megafauna species that we know hardly anything about. How long do spider crabs live for?Once we realise spider crabs could live for many decades the mystery starts to get compelling. To know their importance, we have to imagine things, like: where do they come from? And how do they know where to go? There is a wisdom, just like ours, that enables them to live and be part of something bigger than themselves. A connection to the same ecosystems we rely on for our existence. Wildlife in the Balance offers a new perspective, a sly glance from the side, an initial dose of cynicism and preparation to rethink what you may have learnt about concepts like natural selection, evolution, ecosystems and conservation. Things don't quite work like you were taught at school or led to believe by decades of popular science. Scotson, Lorraine & Fredriksson, Gabriella & Ngoprasert, Dusit & Wong, Wai-Ming & Fieberg, John. (2017). Projecting range-wide sun bear population trends using tree cover and camera-trap bycatch data. PLOS ONE. 12. 10.1371/journal.pone.0185336. We can hear that life is shaped more by relationships of compatibility and mutual benefit than competition and that sound has shaped life itself. Sound, that mysterious, invisible ephemeral phenomena is the dark matter of evolution.’ – Andrew Skeoch, 2017. Ted-X. his single terrible form controlling by its mere presence the billions of lives between himself and the shore.’ ― Gavin Maxwell, 1960. Ring of Bright Water.