The Western Australian coast is the site of a significant number of rookeries of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), and hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), all of which are classified Endangered to Critically Endangered.
The nesting sites are particularly numerous for loggerhead sea turtles, whose rookeries from Shark Bay to Gnaraloo Bay, Ningaloo Reef, and the Cape Range National Park are some of the largest in the world.
Along with the introduced red fox (Vulpes vulpes), golden ghost crabs are significant as one of the main predators of sea turtle eggs and hatchlings in these regions.

In the Gnaraloo Bay Rookery, where red fox populations have largely been kept in check, sea turtle eggs and hatchlings are mostly preyed upon by golden ghost crabs and, to a lesser extent, horned ghost crabs.
Aside from directly preying on emerging hatchlings heading towards the water, there are also indications that golden ghost crabs actively burrow into nesting sites and feed on turtle eggs.

In a 2010 assessment by the Gnaraloo Turtle Conservation Program, golden ghost crabs were found to be responsible for the most number of sea turtle egg and hatchling predation.
Golden ghost crabs disturbed 38% and 46.7% of the egg chambers in the total number of nests within the study area during day and night studies respectively.
They were also recorded to be responsible for the predation of 12% of the total number of hatchlings that emerged.
In comparison, red foxes were responsible for only 6.51% (day) and 9.5% (night) of nest disturbances, and only 0.3% of hatchling predation.

During the peak nesting season in 2010 to 2011, golden ghost crabs were also recorded to have disturbed 35% of the nests and to have actively preyed upon another 38%, for a cumulative 73% of the nests affected.

Areas with higher numbers of turtle nests also had higher numbers of ghost crabs, indicating a possible positive correlation between the two.
The ghost crab population was highest during the summer seasons, and it is hypothesised that this might be because of greater food availability, as the summer tides leave a greater amount of debris on the beaches.
However, gauging the true extent of the effects of golden ghost crabs on sea turtle hatchling and egg mortality still remains difficult, largely due to the fact that they usually flee at the presence of human observers and thus skew the data.
Nest monitoring with night vision cameras has been proposed as a possible means of acquiring a more accurate assessment.

Some methods for protecting the nests against golden ghost crabs have been proposed for trial in Gnaraloo.
These include wire or plastic screens placed over the nests and continued human presence to discourage predators.
The Western Australian coast is the site of a significant number of rookeries of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), and hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), all of which are classified Endangered to Critically Endangered. The nesting sites are particularly numerous for loggerhead sea turtles, whose rookeries from Shark Bay to Gnaraloo Bay, Ningaloo Reef, and the Cape Range National Park are some of the largest in the world. Along with the introduced red fox (Vulpes vulpes), golden ghost crabs are significant as one of the main predators of sea turtle eggs and hatchlings in these regions.
In the Gnaraloo Bay Rookery, where red fox populations have largely been kept in check, sea turtle eggs and hatchlings are mostly preyed upon by golden ghost crabs and, to a lesser extent, horned ghost crabs. Aside from directly preying on emerging hatchlings heading towards the water, there are also indications that golden ghost crabs actively burrow into nesting sites and feed on turtle eggs.
In a 2010 assessment by the Gnaraloo Turtle Conservation Program, golden ghost crabs were found to be responsible for the most number of sea turtle egg and hatchling predation. Golden ghost crabs disturbed 38% and 46.7% of the egg chambers in the total number of nests within the study area during day and night studies respectively. They were also recorded to be responsible for the predation of 12% of the total number of hatchlings that emerged. In comparison, red foxes were responsible for only 6.51% (day) and 9.5% (night) of nest disturbances, and only 0.3% of hatchling predation.
During the peak nesting season in 2010 to 2011, golden ghost crabs were also recorded to have disturbed 35% of the nests and to have actively preyed upon another 38%, for a cumulative 73% of the nests affected.
Areas with higher numbers of turtle nests also had higher numbers of ghost crabs, indicating a possible positive correlation between the two. The ghost crab population was highest during the summer seasons, and it is hypothesised that this might be because of greater food availability, as the summer tides leave a greater amount of debris on the beaches. However, gauging the true extent of the effects of golden ghost crabs on sea turtle hatchling and egg mortality still remains difficult, largely due to the fact that they usually flee at the presence of human observers and thus skew the data. Nest monitoring with night vision cameras has been proposed as a possible means of acquiring a more accurate assessment.
Some methods for protecting the nests against golden ghost crabs have been proposed for trial in Gnaraloo. These include wire or plastic screens placed over the nests and continued human presence to discourage predators.
Golden ghost crab