Lobster Culture Manual
This manual is provided as a service to the lobster research community as a guide to best practices in larval rearing. Originally released in 1999 by the New England Aquarium’s Lobster Rearing and Research Facility, it was updated in 2026 and rereleased by the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve to ensure it was available as a resource.
It includes a range of information on lobster larval husbandry, including everything from guidance on diet and holding conditions to schematics for a complete lobster hatchery facility. No guarantees or assurances for success in larval rearing are provided, but we hope it is of use for others engaged in this challenging but rewarding endeavor!
Laboratory Culture Manual for the American Lobster, 2nd Edition
Larval
development spreadsheet: Along with the culture manual, we provide a spreadsheet for use in tracking larval development and predicting hatch dates based on water temperature.
Download a zip file containing both the manual and the spreadsheet.