Meet the Scientists: Lobster Egg Production and Quality in a Changing Gulf of Maine

The American lobster (Homarus americanus) is the dominant benthic crustacean in the Gulf of Maine, supporting the most valuable single-species fishery in the United States. Management for this fishery has often focused on egg production, yet there still remain gaps in our understanding of the factors that control and influence egg production and egg quality. Connecting to recent research efforts, our goal has been to explore in more detail the roles that nutrition and nutritional condition play in reproductive investment by female lobsters, with an eye towards providing better data for the continued management of the fishery. Dr. Ben Gutzler and Dr. Jason Goldstein, both lobster scientists, will share some of their findings through an informal presentation that includes demonstration materials.