FABULATION

Floating on a carpet of sargasso seaweed, the crab enjoyed the gentle rise and fall of the waves, feeding on the wet, salted seagrass and the bacteria that thrived as it decomposed. Suddenly, the waves began to swell, and dark clouds rolled in, accompanied by a strong wind. The crab snapped out of its peaceful eating and floating routine, struggling against the storm in the middle of the ocean. Menacing waves rose around it, rain began to pour, and the wind howled fiercely. The crab clung tightly to its seaweed carpet, determined not to let go of its life raft.

Once the storm finally calmed—was it days or weeks?—land appeared on the horizon. However, the seaweed carpet had exhausted its nutrients, and the crab was slowly starving. In the distance, the crab spotted the pointed silhouette of an island.

Figure 1: The crab floating with the Sargasso seaweeds, the island appears on the horizon

The carpet extended close to the beach. A crab was carried ashore along with the seaweed by the waves. As the tides receded, they left the crab and the seaweed to dry and decay on the sand. Large white birds swooped down, picking at the remaining nutrients from the seaweed on the shore. They were also searching for crabs to supplement their diet.

Figure 2: The dangers of life on the shore

The crab left the rotting seaweed, which was now devoid of nutrients, and noticed that many more bunches of seaweed and crabs had become stranded on the beach as they swam ashore. The seaweed dried out on the shore until only a line of dark brown seeds remained, adorning the beach like a garland. At the sight of the seeds, the crab recognized the possibility of new life ahead. It began pushing the seaweed against the rocks at the end of the beach, bringing some of the seeds there as well.

Insects soon started to visit the area. Initially cautious and curious, they quickly realized the opportunity before them and began to bring more seeds to the decaying piles of seaweed, helping to pollinate them. More crabs observed these actions and began to imitate them. Before long, the stretch of beach near the road to the port blossomed, becoming vibrant with plants and fruits that resembled pineapples, though they were not the same (Figures 4 and 5).

Figure 3: crabs on land-building Towers

Once settled on the land, the crabs began to build their stone towers, marking the territory of their new home and alerting other species to their presence. Humans now observe the crabs and wonder: What is happening here? Can we coexist? Can we share resources? Or do the crabs pose a threat to us? Will we need to defend ourselves? Humans are always cautious.

The crabs are related to flying insects. As the seaweeds dry and decay, they leave behind seeds, and the insects bring new seeds that are strong enough to feed the crabs. These insects also pollinate and help ferment the composted seaweeds. Humans have discovered they can grow potatoes using this compost, and these cultures contribute to potato growth. They even bring some water to nourish the seaweed while the crabs observe from a distance.

The insects continue to bring seeds to the compost, resulting in the growth of various plants, including a soft pine fruit that resembles a pineapple. This juicy fruit is rich in nutrients, and the relationship among crabs, flying insects, and humans is fostering new life.

Humans have started to notice more stone towers on the beach, near where the rocks meet the sand, where the seaweed has created new soil, and where these unusual fruits are thriving. They are curious but also respectful of the crabs' territory.

Figure 4: Crabs terraforming and the fruits near the wall

In return, the crabs, thankful for the water and care of their plants, collect and push some fruits onto the road curbs and leave them for humans to pick up. They choose mature fruits to pick, not ripe ones, so they can last a few more days. The humans feel lucky to encounter these fruits on the road. They are to be studied further for their properties, but they are delicious to the taste.