X 



Research 



A small-scale federal lobster investigation began in 

 1939 at Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The principal objective 

 was to study ways of increasing the production of fourth- 

 stage lobsters in the lobster-rearing station operated by the 

 Maine Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries in coopera- 

 tion with the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. 1 The scope of the in- 

 vestigation was expanded to study certain biological aspects, 

 i.e., lobster migrations, early life history, growth distribu- 

 tion and habits of the sub-legal sizes, and size composition of 

 the catches. During World War II, the work was curtailed 

 as personnel devoted most of their efforts to wartime duties. 

 In 1947, the federal lobster investigation was ended. At 

 that time the two principal lobster-producing states— Maine 

 and Massachusetts— had begun their own lobster studies. 

 Because lobster research appeared to be more of a state than 

 a federal matter, the Fish and Wildlife Service was pleased 

 to have the states assume the responsibility. 



At this time (1960), lobster research is carried on 

 by Maine and Massachusetts, but only on a limited scale. 

 Maine's efforts have been principally directed towards assist- 

 ing the industry with some of the practical problems such as 

 testing new types of lobster traps, devising better methods 

 of holding live lobsters in recirculated water, disinfecting 

 lobster pounds, and providing trouble-shooting services to 

 operators of tank storage facilities, as well as some basic 

 biological research. These activities are carried on inter- 

 mittently by biologists engaged primarily in other studies. 

 A Saltonstall-Kennedy grant to the Maine Department of 

 Sea and Shore Fisheries has financed an economic-biological 

 study of the lobster industry. 



In Massachusetts, lobster research is now confined prin- 

 cipally to biological observations on the age, growth, and 



1 Pages 149-50 are quoted from Leslie W. Scattergood and Robert L. Dow, 

 " The Lobster Industry." 



