Have you ever admired the grandeur of mountains or the vastness of the sea? Perhaps you've ridden the waves or explored the expanses of a desert.

Yet, amid these adventures, the humble mudflats beneath your feet may have escaped your notice. Mudflats, an often overlooked "invisible paradise" between the sea and land boast rich species of resources.

However, they endure the challenges of high salinity and alkali, urgently requiring our attention and protection.

Mudflats represent the tidal zone between high and low tide levels along the coast. Subject to the ebb and flow of tides, they alternate between submersion and exposure.

These areas are dynamic ecosystems, blending marine and land environments. Featuring plants, animals, soil, water, and other environmental factors, mudflats are shaped by the influences of both terrestrial and marine realms.

Organic matter from surface or underground runoff, as well as nutrients carried by the tides from the ocean, continuously accumulate and settle in the mudflats.

While these nutrients may be challenging for higher trophic chain species to utilize, various benthic animals play a crucial role in cycling them. During low tide, small crabs emerge from the mud, seemingly engaged in idle activity.

However, upon closer inspection, these crabs feed on the mud, filtering out organic matter like algae and plankton before discarding the mud.

This seemingly mundane action accumulates nutrients for the crab's growth and development, eventually passing them up the trophic chain when they prey on larger predators, such as birds.

Furthermore, mudflat crabs play a crucial role in the ecosystem as they reside in the mud and participate in burrowing activities, which helps oxygenate the deeper layers. This process is essential for the well-being of mudflat plants, including mangroves.

Various crab species inhabit mudflats, such as the arc-sided fiddler crab, the short-bodied big-eyed crab, the Sphynx new bloated crab, the short-fingered monk crab, and the Taiwan mud crab. Despite their small size, these seemingly insignificant crabs play pivotal roles in sustaining the mudflat ecosystem.

Unfortunately, the development and utilization of coastal mudflats in many areas have often disregarded resource and environmental carrying capacity.

Land reclamation and environmental pollution have adversely impacted the ecological balance of coastal mudflats, leading to extensive degradation.

The ecological framework undergoes hardships marked by contaminated substrate, decreased productivity, a decline in biodiversity, and the forfeiture of environmental functionality. Deprived of their habitat, many animals and plants are compelled to relocate, and some endangered species face extinction.

The journey to protect the ecological integrity of mudflats is ongoing, requiring sustained efforts to transform them into a true "invisible paradise" along the coast.