WEBVTT

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[white noise of outdoor soundscape including the sound of distant
ocean waves fades in]

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Like the tides that shape their existence, the mangroves are ever-changing,
and few things here are permanent.

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This male fiddler crab has likely dug many burrows into the sands of the
mangroves over the course of his life,

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and has likely had many of them erased by the waves.

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During periods of low tide, he sifts through the sand around his
current burrow, plucking out bits of decaying matter to eat.

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But he's not the only crab that wants to call this shoreline home.

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He has challengers - other males.

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Dueling fiddler crabs may resort to combat if one crab can't
establish dominance by posturing.

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The male makes the first move to intimidate his opponent.

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His prominent claw may ward off the other male.

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[white noise of outdoor soundscape including the sound of distant
waves and the brief call of a seagull]

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[white noise of outdoor soundscape including the sound of distant waves]

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The bout is decided without a fight for now.

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As is common in such scenarios, the crab with the larger claw
is victorious.

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When it comes time to breed, one of the many nearby females will likely
enter his burrow to mate.

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Their offspring will hatch in the ocean, carried by the waves,

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another generation born into the same tides that
sculpt their ever-changing home.

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[white noise of outdoor soundscape including the sound of
distant waves, eventually fading out]