Surface activity, zonation and migrations of Talitrus saltator on a Mediterranean beach

Surface activity and migrations on the beach-dune system of a Mediterranean population of Talitrus saltator was studied throughout the year using pit-fall traps positioned on transects from the shoreline to the back dune. The abundance and movements of sandhoppers were analysed using multiple regression analyses, to show the importance of environmental factors. An experiment was performed to assess the distance covered longshore in one night by individual sandhoppers, colouring the crustaceans with neutral red and recapturing them. This study became a baseline for comparisons between populations from different coasts.