Pacific mole crabs (Emerita analoga) are one of the most important and abundant invertebrates in sandy beach environments. Consequently, they are a common food source for shorebirds and sea otters.Since the mole crab serves as the primary intermediate host for acanthocephalans parasites, they have been linked to a number of mortality events. Studies suggest that parasite development and transmission may be strongly effected by weather patterns. LiMPETs, a citizen science program, has collected data on the prevalence of infected crab along the California Coast. By segregating this data into El Nino/La Nina seasons, we use a differential equation model help to answer questions concerning weather effects on shorebird mortality
