Overview

The American Lobster Initiative (ALI) is a collaborative research program dedicated to addressing the critical knowledge gaps about the American lobster and its iconic fishery at a time of increasing environmental change and uncertainty. Supported by NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program, ALI has funded more than 39 research projects since 2019, on topics ranging from lobster biology to the socio-economics of the lobster industry. By bringing together fishermen, researchers, and resource managers, the ALI aims to build resilience through research and collaboration. In addition to this growing body of research, Sea Grant staff provide outreach and communications support for projects teams, to ensure that ALI research is seamlessly synthesized and shared with the communities, fishermen, and policymakers who need it most.

American Lobster Research Program

Since 2019, the National Sea Grant Office has funded 39 projects. Projects were chosen through a competitive process that included review by subject matter experts. The most recent research competition in 2024 solicited proposals aimed at addressing one or more of the following priorities:

1. Increased understanding of life history parameters under changing climate conditions, including but not limited to, temperature, growth, and mortality;
2. Species distribution and abundance in response to environmental change, including but not limited to deep water settlement
3. Impacts of environmental change and or economic uncertainty on social systems, including but not limited to dimensions of community well-being, formal and informal governance structures, and workforce diversification
4. Economic implications of policy and potential regulatory and/or other future resource management actions 

Regional Lobster Extension Program

The seven Northeast Sea Grant Programs have developed a collaborative approach to supporting a regionally coordinated American lobster extension initiative, which will complement and enhance the American Lobster Research Program. This Extension Program will ensure that industry and management stakeholders across the northeast region benefit from research as part of the American Lobster Research Program and other regional efforts. Maine Sea Grant will provide leadership and overall coordination for the effort, and New Hampshire, MIT, WHOI, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York Sea Grant programs will lead locally-relevant components that contribute to the regional effort and be engaged in regional activities. The extension objectives include:

1. Members of the American lobster industry have an increased awareness and understanding of the biological, economic, and social impacts of ecosystem change in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank.
2. Members of the American lobster industry, research, management, and fishing communities contribute to identifying attributes of a resilient lobster industry within the region.
3. Members of the American lobster industry, research, management, and fishing communities contribute to identifying research, technical assistance and outreach needs related to building ecological, social and economic resiliency.
4. Members of the American lobster industry, research, management, and fishing communities increase in cross-sector connections to enhance opportunities for collaboration going forward.

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