An expedition team from Purdue University and affiliated organizations has embarked on a journey to Nikumaroro, a remote island in the Pacific nation of Kiribati, in an effort to uncover new evidence related to the fate of famed aviator Amelia Earhart. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared in 1937 while attempting to circumnavigate the globe along the Equator. The Taraia Object expedition, which includes researchers from Purdue’s Archaeological Legacy Institute and the Purdue Research Foundation, departed on October 2 and is expected to arrive on Nikumaroro around October 12.

Nikumaroro’s challenging environment, including dense vegetation and populations of invasive rats, presents significant obstacles for the team. Among the island’s native fauna, however, are the coconut crabs (Birgus latro), large land-dwelling crustaceans known for their impressive size, strength, and dietary habits. According to the London Museum of Natural History, these crabs have a leg span exceeding three feet and can live up to 60 years. They are capable of hunting large prey such as rats and migratory birds and are noted for their powerful claws, capable of cracking open coconuts.

Coconut crabs have been a point of interest in theories about Earhart’s disappearance. One hypothesis suggests that after a crash landing on Nikumaroro, Earhart may have survived initially but succumbed to injuries on the island. The crabs, attracted by the scent of blood, might have attacked her before she could be rescued. This theory, which was discussed in a 2013 Smithsonian Magazine article referencing past environmental reporting, draws on anecdotal and forensic evidence, including skeletal fragments found on the island in 1940 that some researchers believe could belong to Earhart.

The crabs’ behavior toward remains was tested in 2007 when researchers placed a pig carcass on the island to observe scavenging activity. The carcass was quickly dismantled by the coconut crabs, lending some support to the idea that such creatures could have scavenged human remains.

While en route to Nikumaroro, communication with the Purdue-led team has been limited. A representative from Purdue, Steve Schultz, who is senior vice president and general counsel at the university, noted that the presence of coconut crabs poses enough of a threat that the team plans to leave the island each day before sunset to avoid encounters. The search aims to shed further light on Earhart’s last known whereabouts and possibly locate remnants of the Lockheed Electra 10-E aircraft she piloted.

The expedition is part of ongoing efforts to resolve decades of speculation surrounding one of the 20th century’s most enduring aviation mysteries. Researchers will face difficult conditions, but advances in archaeological and forensic methods raise new hopes that definitive answers may be within reach.