SECTION 13 

 American Lobster {Homarus amevicanus) 



Life History Summary 



The American lobster is found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean from 

 Labrador to Cape Hatteras and from the surf zone to the slope of the 

 continental shelf (Burns 1982). Based on landings, the center of abundance is 

 in the Gulf of Maine and along southwestern Nova Scotia, although significant 

 numbers of losters are taken both on Georges Bank and in the Middle Atlantic 

 along the eastern US coast. In the Middle Atlantic Bight, there appears to be 

 inshore and offshore populations. While both populations exhibit lateral 

 movement, only the offshore population migrates inshore and offshore 

 seasonally. At least 20% of this population migrates inshore during March 

 through August, and offshore during October through December (Uzmann et al . 

 1977). One hypothesis explaining this migratory pattern is that temperatures 

 offshore are not high enough to promote molting, a requirement for subsequent 

 mating. Movement into shallow waters would provide tne necessary temperature. 



The American lobster supports a commercial fishery with inshore and 

 offshore components and a very small recreational fishery. The inshore 

 fishery is almost entirely a trap fishery, while in the offshore fishery, both 

 traps and otter trawls are used. Of 13,698 metric tons (MT) of American 

 lobster reported landed in the US during 1975 (Burns et al. 1979), 10,085 MT 

 were taken in the inshore Gulf of Maine trap fishery, 518 MT in the offshore 

 Gulf of Maine trap fishery and 368 MT in the offshore Gulf of Maine trawl 

 fishery, for a total of 10,971 MT. The rest, 2,727 MT, was either taken in 

 the Middle Atlantic Bight or by other methods (diving, fish pots or 

 dredyes). In tne 'iddle Atlantic Bight, the inshore trap fishery accounted 



402 



