Question #4) In the article, "ovigerous" is defined as referring to female crabs that are carrying eggs. The term "spermatheca" refers to the reproductive organ in female crabs that stores sperm. The text explains that "presence of sperm in the spermathecae indicates both recent and past mating success." The evidence that a female Dungeness crab had recently mated is the presence of a sperm plug in her reproductive tract. The study found that 69% of the captured females had sperm plugs, indicating they mated in the year of collection. Additionally, it reported that 83% of the females could produce viable eggs based on the presence of either sperm plugs or swollen spermathecae. Regarding mating frequency, the text notes that female crabs do not extrude eggs every year. Some females may skip egg production in certain years, as indicated by previous studies referenced in the article. However, the data suggest that female crabs that are mature and have molted typically mate after each molt, leading to variable annual reproductive success.

Question) Given that a significant percentage of female Dungeness crabs were found to have recently mated, yet not all extrude eggs annually, what further research could be conducted to understand the factors influencing the variability in reproductive success among these females, and how might environmental conditions or population dynamics play a role in their mating and egg-laying behaviors?