Tag Archives: Ocean conservation Okinawa

I found a MTS4N seashell on Okinawa. What should I do?

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So far, I have placed over seven hundred marked turbo seashells in the coastal forest for hermit crabs in need. The shells are marked and numbered with the hashtag #mts4n ( Make The Switch For Nature ). Hopefully, labeling the surface of the seashells will prevent poachers, beachcombers, and anglers from taking them.

Hermit crabs are a national living monument species of Japan. Collecting them is against the law. Take photos only!

What to do if you find a #MTS4N or #MILLER shell:

  • Take a photograph of the Hermit crab in its natural habitat
  • Enjoy the moment and do not harass it
  • Share on social media and tag #mts4n
  • These occupied shells are not collectibles; do not take them

The Mission of the Make the Switch 4 Nature (MTS4N) Hermit Crab Conservation project is to spread joy, inspire change, and save lives

What to do if you find a hermit crab adapting with plastic

  • Take a photograph of the hermit crab in its original habitat
  • Leave the hermit crab alone and do not harass it
  • Send me a DM with the exact beach location
  • I will place empty shells in the coastal forest for the hermit crabs
Hermit crabs living in our trash

Have you ever taken an empty seashell from the beach? I am guilty. Most people don’t realize that they are taking the potential home of a hermit crab.

Did you know that hermit crabs are not born with shells?
As hermit crabs grow, they depend on various empty shells as their homes. Hermit crabs do not make their own shells; instead, they use discarded shells from marine snails that wash ashore. They also adapt by using land snail shells found in the coastal forest. If you are a shell collector, please return all unwanted shells to the coastline. #taketrashnothomes

It’s crucial to protect these beautiful creatures for future generations. Hermit crabs play an essential role in the coastal ecosystem. Hermit crabs do not belong in cages; please leave them in their natural habitat.

2024 has been a busy year for hermit crab poaching. In April and May, we found many traps in the coastal forest. If you see any suspicious activity, please call the local police.

Hermit crabs do not belong in a cage. Let’s keep wild crabs wild.


Please help me make a difference by supporting the #MST4N Hermit Crab Conservation Project. Please check out my Patreon page, MakeTheSwitch4Nature. I will collect a bucket full of marine debris for every supporting member. Our waste is a massive problem on our beautiful shorelines.

Do you have any seashells collecting dust at home? If so, consider giving them back to nature. #taktrashnothomes

  • The Mission of the #MTS4N conservation project is to spread joy, inspire change, and save lives.

Click on the donation link below to help fund Shawn’s conservation projects.

Interview On the Kelly Clarkson Show
Making the switch 4 nature
Featured On AFN Okinawa


Fish Populations Decline At Maeda Point – Not A Good Sign!

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I originally got SCUBA certified at Maeda Misaki in 1992. I have seen this popular snorkeling location drastically change over the years with the increase in tourism. Meada point is now a high traffic area, literally thousands of people enter the water on a given weekend.
Maeda misaki diving

Maeda misaki diving

If you have ever been to maeda point you have seen the beautiful schools of Teira batfish (Platax teira). In the late 90’s there were massive schools of hundreds of these beautiful fish. Below is an old photograph I found in my photo album. This was a common site back in the 90’s.
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Teira batfish at Maeda misaki

In 2017, I noticed that populations started declining.
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Schools of batfish

2018-2019, I started seeing numbers decline to less than twenty individuals. July 2019, I went to the same location on three different days and didn’t see any batfish.
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Wide angle macro

These fish are a huge tourist attraction. What could have caused the decline of the batfish populations? Possible reasons for decline:
  • Feeding the batfish man-made products
  • Noise pollution from an increase in boat traffic
  • Moved on to a safer location
  • Overfishing
  • Contaminates entering the water – sunblock, shampoo, perfume and urine
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Fu (wheat gluten)

In the past, guides would feed the fish sausage and bread. In recent years many local companies switched over to Fu (wheat gluten). It’s much cheeper than fish sausage.  Kilos of Fu enter the water for fish consumption on a given week at Maeda point. Could this gluten based product be good for the fish? Why you should not feed wild animals:
  • Interfere’s with their natural diet and feeding cycle
  • Makes the fish more vulnarable to predators
  • Reef algae overgrowth due to the fish being full
  • Increase’s your chance of getting bitten
Sometimes, I see plastic bags filled will remnants of fish food floating on the surface of the water. With the increase in tourism, I am finding more trash left behind at Maeda Point. This is a photograph I took recently at Maeda point. A collector urchin (Tripneustes gratilla) is covering up with discarded sausage wrapper.  
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collector urchin

This is one of my favorite photographs taken at Maeda Point.
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Beautiful bat-fish

Hopefully the teira batfish populations are not a blur left behind.
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Fading away

My Mission: To Protect and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands for Future Generations

If you would like to help me make a difference Please check out my Patreon Site https://www.patreon.com/MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines.  Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

The Red Coral of Okinawa by Shawn Miller

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One of my favorite types of coral is the red knotted sea fan ( Melithaea ochracea ). Mainly because of the color and the branching pattern. The vibrant red coral, white polyps and the blue water compliment one another. There are many small marine animals that thrive on the red tree of life. This beauty was photographed in the blue waters between Izena and Iheya Island.

14545289327_5e18d36098_bApril 4th 2019, I stumbled upon some colorful micro flatworms that I have never seen before.  Leslie Harris informed me that these fast moving slugs were potentially undocumented benthic ctenophores.

  • Name: Coeloplana sp
  • Benthic ctenophore
  • Size: 8mm-10mm
  • Location: Okinawa, Japan
  • Depth: 40feet

Can you see how well the benthic ctenophore blends in with its host?  This is a great example of mimicry.

DSC_2247Look close at the tiny chamber mounds. These mounds hold the stinging tentacles that are used for catching food and possibly for protection.

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I found this strange benthic ctenophore (Coeloplana sp) on a dive near Ikea Island. When I first saw the ctenophore, the long stinging cells were extended out in hunting mode.

IMG_2755Some benthic ctenophores live on starfish (Echinaster luzonicus), look close and you can see the stinging cells.

A blue starfish (Linkia laevigata) infested with benthic ctenophores

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically  to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link  paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines.  Thank you for your support.  Shawn M Miller.

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