Chen et a\ Population structure of Homaius ameiicanus in the Gulf of Maine 



253 



^ 0.00 



50 



100 



150 



200 



50 



100 



150 



200 



0,06 



0.04 



0.02- 



0.00 



Inshore 



Spring 2001 



Spring 2002 

 Spring 2003 



vy- 



50 



100 



^^r — 

 150 



200 



Spring 2001 

 Spring 1 2002 



50 



100 



150 



200 



CL (mm) 



Figure 4 



The size lof carapace ICLIl distributions for American lobsters [Hoinariis ainericanus) for 

 each sampling season and year for the Maine Department of Marine Resources inshore and 

 the National Marine Fisheries Service offshore survey programs. 



than those in 2001 for both the fall and spring sur- 

 veys. Thus, for fall, DMR inshore survey program had 

 a different temporal pattern between 2001 and 2002, 

 compared with the NMFS surveys, whereas for spring, 

 the temporal pattern of 2001 and 2002 was same for 

 the two sampling programs. 



Discussions 



Large differences were found in size compositions and 

 mean sizes of lobsters between the DMR inshore and 

 NMFS surveys. Such differences indicated that large 

 lobsters are more likely to appear in the NMFS survey, 



