Project 1.3 – Factors influencing recruitment and early life survival of lobsters
The American lobster is a cold water crustacean found off the east coast of North America from Labrador to South Carolina. Catches have been different between lobster fishing areas in the southwest Gulf of St. Lawrence for the past 55 years, due in part to an important commercial fishery and low recruitment within the Northumberland Strait. Most bottom animals spend the early part of their lives developing in the water column before settling on the ocean bottom. The number of larvae available to the fishery depends on many factors, such as the number of eggs that hatch and survive to the larval stage, behaviour and movement of the young, predators, water temperature and bottom type.
The lobster industry has identified research priorities to better understand lobster biology. This work is needed to better understand and manage lobster stocks, and to increase the effectiveness of stocking to enhance natural populations in certain areas. This research project will study the effect of 1) water temperature, 2) bottom typeand 3) how young lobsters react in the presence of predators.
Project Leader Contact Information
Gilles Miron
Université de Moncton
[email protected]
Project Team
- Bernard Sainte-Marie - Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Institut Maurice-Lamontagne
- Benoit Bruneau - Université de Moncton graduate student (2012-present)
- Dounia Daoud - Homarus, Inc.
-
Fan Qin - Université de Moncton
- Gastien Godin - Institut de recherche sur les zones côtières inc. (IRZC)
- Léo Barret - Université du Québec à Rimouski gradute student (2012-present)
- Martin Mallet - Homarus, Inc.
- Mélanie Chiasson - Université de Moncton graduate student (2010-2012)
- Michel Comeau - Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Gulf Fisheries Centre
- Patrick Ouellet - Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Institut Maurice-Lamontagne
- Réjean Tremblay - Université du Québec à Rimouski
- Rémy Rochette - University of New Brunswick, Saint John