The effect of methodological options on geostatistical modelling of animal distribution: A case study with Liocarcinus depurator (Crustacea: Brachyura) trawl survey data

L. depurator populations along the Spanish coast showed high spatial dependency with densities aggregated in patches. Patch sizes were estimated to have diameter of around 20 km. Density decreases with depth and this was adequately represented by the 'removal of outlier approach', using depth as a covariate.