fishery biologists from along the coast reached a consensus that 

 recently increased landings did not result from significant 

 increases in fishing effort, but from higher than expected 

 recruitment, or greater resource availability to gear. It 

 appears that commercial catch per unit effort, i.e., catch of 

 lobster/trap in pounds and number of individuals, generally 

 increased during the 1980 's, particularly as evidenced by 

 Massachusetts' research trap data. 



NMFS research vessel otter trawl survey indices from the New 

 York Bight and adjacent waters (Delaware-Connecticut) for 

 American lobster during the autumn indicate no clear trends in 

 relative population size. Stratified mean number per tow for 

 pre-recruit lobsters (<80 mm carapace length, CL) , averaged 1.22 

 individuals during 1978-87. A decline in pre-recruits during 

 1986-87 to a mean level of 0.66 lobsters per tow, however, was 

 noted. The survey index for lobsters >80 mm CL remained 

 relatively stable for the ten year period 1978-87, averaging 0.33 

 lobsters per tow. The mean level during 1985-87 was 0.29 

 individuals per tow. 



1 . 2 Red Crab, Geryon quinquedens 



The red crab, Geryon quinquedens . has been reported from the 

 western portions of the north and south Atlantic from Nova Scotia 

 to Cuba, the Gulf of Mexico, and Brazil (Bigford, 1979) . It is 

 distributed along the continental slope of the Northwest Atlantic 

 at depths of 100-1500 m (60-800 fathoms) . Trawl surveys have 

 shown that the largest numbers of crabs occur on the upper slope 

 of the continental shelf at depths of about 275-1,000 m from 

 George's Bank to off Cape Hatteras. The annual maximum 

 sustainable yield for red crabs between George's Bank and 

 offshore Maryland has been estimated at 2,700 mt (metric tons), 

 or 5.9 million pounds. The 1984 catch statistics reported 

 landings in excess of this estimate. According to Lux et al 

 (1982) the catch from the New England fishery in 1980 was about 

 2,500 metric tons, and the estimated catch off Delaware, 

 Maryland, and Virginia was approximately 65 mt. Photographic 

 studies made in 1974 showed that most of the sediments were olive 

 green in color and made up of silt and clay. More northern 

 stations in the George's Bank region differed by having pebbles, 

 gravel, and occasional large boulders. Bottom features suggest 

 that crabs living in the more northern waters would be subject to 

 abrasions and shell damage to a greater extent than those living 

 on a sand and silt sea bottom. 



Recent systematic studies (Manning and Holthuis, 1984) have 

 shown that a related species, Geryon fenneri, or golden crab, 

 inhabits the South Atlantic Bight, Wenner et al (1987) , caught 

 3,152 crabs at depths ranging from 296-810 m off the coast of 

 South Carolina and Georgia. Luckhurst (in press) captured G. 

 fenneri at 786-1,462 m near Bermuda. According to Wenner et ai 

 (1987) this species constitutes a small but important fishery in 

 South Carolina. 



