Larval lobster (Homarus americanus) distribution and drift in the vicinity of the Gulf of Maine offshore banks and their probable origins

Abstract

Surveys for lobster larvae in offshore waters of the north-eastern Gulf of Maine in 1983Maine in , 1987Maine in and 1989 confirm that local hatching occurs mainly at depths <100 m over the banks, including Georges and Browns Banks. Detailed studies in the vicinity of Georges Bank in late July of both 1987 and 1989 indicate that the first and second moult stages were located primarily over the bank whereas stages III and IV lobster were collected both over and off the bank. At times stage IV lobster were more abundant off the bank than over it. The condition of stage III and IV lobster, as measured by a lipid index, was better off than over Georges Bank in 1988 and 1989 indicating a possible physiological advantage to being off the bank. In addition, the higher surface temperatures off Georges Bank would shorten larval development time to settlement. To determine the probable hatch sites of stage IV lobster collected off of Browns Bank in 1983 and off of Georges in 1987 and 1989, a 3-D circulation model of the Gulf of Maine was used to simulate larval lobster drift backwards in time. In all cases, areas off Cape Cod, MA, and off Penobscot Bay, ME were suggested as the source of the larvae, although most of the larval trajectories never reached these near-shore waters that are well-known, larval hatching areas. The model-projected larval release times match most closely the observed inshore hatch off Massachusetts but model uncertainties mean that coastal Maine cannot be ruled out as a source. Georges

Advection of the Red King Crab larvae on the coast of North Norway—A Lagrangian model study

“…Transport and recruitment of blue crab larvae (Callinectes sapidus) including wind and river discharge have been published by Garvine et al (1997) and for lobster by Harding et al (2005). The main purpose of these papers was to resolve questions regarding the relationship between local stocks and larval drift.…”

Vertical positioning and swimming performance of lobster larvae (Homarus gammarus) in an artificial water column at Helgoland, North Sea

“…Harding et al (2005) used field observations of the lobster larval distribution in the Gulf of Maine for modelling larval drift to estimate probable source areas for settling of stage IV post-larvae. Furthermore, there are different lobster larval transport models which combine oceanographic processes and behavioural traits (Katz et al 1994;Incze & Naimie 2000;Annis et al 2007).…”

Spatially structured interactions between lobsters and lobster fishers in a coastal habitat: fine-scale behaviour and survival estimated from acoustic telemetry

“…Rather, niche requirements result in association with specific habitats and resources (Mittelbach 1981;Rosenzweig 1981) and other less often considered factors such as site familiarity (Piper 2011). Although there is considerable literature on how fish and crustaceans are spatially distributed on large and intermediate scales (e.g., Harding et al 2005;Ciannelli et al 2012), knowledge about finescale individual behaviours, habitat associations, home range sizes, and how these interact with the behaviour of fishers is lacking for most harvested species (but see Geraldi et al 2009). …”