DV-18-01 Compared growth and physiology of American lobster and green crab under elevated temperature

David Fields
Senior Research Scientist
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences

The Gulf of Maine is warming at a rapid rate, with unknown consequences for marine life, including commercially and culturally important species such as American lobster and soft-shell clams. Previous work by Bigelow and UMaine scientists provided some of the first indication that temperature is the primary factor in survival and development of lobster larvae. Building on this work, supported in part by Maine Sea Grant program development funds, this project will continue and expand experiments to the entire larval stage of both lobster and green crab, a major predator of clams, measuring growth, oxygen consumption, and feeding rates at different temperatures.

The findings will contribute to our understanding of the current and future impacts of warming waters on Gulf of Maine crustaceans, with implications for managing marine resources and adapting to a changing ecosystem.

Sea Grant funds: $4,500