This photographer captures images of hermit crabs using trash as homes

Shawn Miller

Hermit crabs get their name because of their tendency to conceal themselves inside of seashells, which they wear on their backs.

Often, they use the old shells of sea snails, and must seek out bigger and bigger shells as their bodies grow larger. But as humans have littered beaches and oceans with bottle caps and other bits of trash, some crabs have found homes in pieces of plastic or metal.

Shawn Miller, a wildlife photographer and naturalist living in Okinawa, Japan, has been finding and photographing crabs living in litter since 2010. Miller is the sponsor of the Okinawa Underwater Photographic Society, and his work has been featured in National Geographic and other publications.

His images of hermit crabs highlight the sad reality of our polluted waters, while simultaneously celebrating resilience and adaptation. Take a look.