Community - University Research for Recovery Alliance
Lobster Reproductive Value and Sustainability The American lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery is an important source of income for many fishers in rural Newfoundland. The industry has undertaken a number of management initiatives aimed at maintaining a sustainable fishery, notably v-notching, locally-supported closed areas, and the adoption of a maximum size limit in four Lobster Fishing Areas. We used an established concept in population biology called "reproductive value" to evaluate the effectiveness of these measures. Reproductive value considers current and expected future mortality and fecundity of lobsters in different life stages to quantify the value of the individual to the population. The goals of this research were:
At present, rising fuel and equipment costs, low prices, and retirements are threatening to undermine the collective ability and willingness of harvesters to continue to make investments in stewardship, thereby increasing the need for evidence of economic and biological effectiveness of conservation initiatives. Funding provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Researchers and PartnersLead Researcher: Other researcher: Research associate: Students: Community Partners: MaterialDistribution and Abundance of American Lobster in Coastal Newfoundland, Passive and Active Processes Victoria Burdett-Coutts (2010). M.Sc. thesis, Biology Department, Memorial University of Newfoundland. The effects of v-notching on reproductive potential in American lobsters (Homarus americanus) in Newfoundland An article by Kathryn Goetting, adapted from a thesis by Cathy Whiffen in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science (Honours) at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Lobsters in Western Newfoundland: Reproductive Relative to Economic Value - Community Consultation and Follow-up April 6-8, 2011A presentation by David Schneider, Professor of Ocean Science at Memorial University. Lobsters in Western Newfoundland: Reproductive Relative to Economic Value November 5, 2010A presentation by David Schneider, Professor of Ocean Science at Memorial University. Lobster Sustainability Measures in Newfoundland: Are They Effective? A poster by Jennica Seiden, David Schneider, and Kate M. Wilke. Lobster Sustainability Measures in Newfoundland: Are They Effective? A summary report compiled by Jennica Seiden, Kate M. Wilke, and David Schneider. Latitudinal variation in growth rates of American lobster (Homarus americanus) at the scale of the commercial range July 2011An article by Kate M. Wilke, adapted from a thesis by Jamie Lee Dawn Raper in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Closed-areas as a conservation tool: the effect on size of American lobster (Homarus americanus) in Newfoundland Benthic Ecology Meeting, March 2010A poster presentation by Kate M. Wilke and Jennifer Janes. An investigation into different sampling techniques and geographic variation in size-fecundity parameters of the American lobster, H. americanus October 2010An article by Kate M. Wilke, adapted from a thesis by Jens Jacob Currie in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Published ArticlesCurrie, J.J., Schneider, D.C., Wilke, K.M. (2010) Validation of a noninvasive technique for estimating fecundity in the American lobster Homarus americanus. Journal Of Shellfish Research 29: 1021-1024. (link to abstract) Currie, J.J., Schneider, D.C. (2011) Spatial scaling from latitudinal gradients: Size-specific fecundity in the American lobster Homarus americanus. Marine Ecology Progress Series 439: 193-201. (link to abstract) Xu, C., Schneider, D.C. (2012) Efficacy of conservation measures for the American lobster: Reproductive values a criterion. ICES Journal of Marine Science. (link to abstract) PhotosProject FundersMajor CURRA Funders |