Gulf of Panama were the principal areas, 

 though coverage was extended from these two 

 areas toward Costa Rica and Colombia. 



A number of environmental factors influenc- 

 ing lobster catches were investigated. It was 

 found that traps set on the foraging area near 

 reefs caught more lobsters than those set 

 directly on reefs, or on flat bottom away from 

 reefs. Bottom temperatures of 80° to 85° F., 

 salinities of 31 to 32 parts per thousand, and 

 depths of 4 to 5 fathoms appear optimum for 

 lobster trap fishing. 



No demonstrable preference for any one 

 specific type of bait was observed. 



Wood traps that were seasoned by sub- 

 mersion in the sea until coated with marine 

 growths appeared more effective than un- 

 seasoned traps. Most efficient were 2- to 3- 

 day trap sets. 



During the survey, male lobsters outnum- 

 bered females and, on the average, were 

 heavier and larger. Spawning appears to be 

 continuous. 



During the second year, commercial fishing 

 was simulated to determine the lobster popula- 

 tion density and to collect biological data of 

 importance to commercial fishing endeavors. 

 Two simulated commercial fishing cruises 

 were conducted in the Gulf of Panama. Wood- 

 slat lobster traps were used in the first cruise, 

 and a modified shrimp trawl was used during 

 the second cruise. Excellent spiny lobster 

 catch results were achieved during both 

 cruises. Commercial quantities of sand 

 lobsters, for the first time, were caught during 

 the second cruise. Three Panamanian, com- 

 mercial lobster fishing enterprises were in 

 various stages of development at the end of 

 the project. 



A bay scallop with commercial potential was 

 found during routine operations of the first 

 cruise. Within 2 months, over 400 people afloat 

 and ashore were engaged in catching and 

 processing scallop meats. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



In Panama, the office of the Minister of 

 Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry, through 

 its agencies, the Industrial Development Center 

 and the Department of Fishes, provided co- 

 operation and assistance that were immensely 

 valuable. 



LITERATURE CITED 



BULLIS, HARVEY R. 



1951. Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawl designs. 

 U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Fish. Leafl. 394, 

 16 p. 



BULLIS, HARVEY R., JR., and WARREN F. 

 RATH JEN. 

 1959. Shrimp explorations off the south- 

 eastern coast of the UnitedStates (1956- 

 1958). Com. Fish. Rev. 21(6):l-20. 

 CAPTIVA, FRANCIS J. 



1955. Preliminary report on exploratory 

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 Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Part II. 

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 exploration. Com. Fish. Rev. 17(10): 

 16-20. 

 COPE, C. E. 



1959. Spiny lobster gear and fishing 

 methods. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Fish. 

 Leafl. 487, 17 p. 

 DAWSON, CHARLES E., JR., and CLARENCE 

 P. IDYLL. 

 1951. Investigations on the Florida spiny 

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 GALTSOFF, PAUL S. 



1948. The pearl-oyster resources of 

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 Sci. Rep. Fish. 28, 53 p. 

 GURNEY, ROBERT. 



1942. Larvae of decapod Crustacea. Ray 

 Society, London, 306 p. 

 HALSTEAD, BRUCE W., and FINDLAY E. 

 RUSSEL. 

 1956. Toxic marine organisms. In William 

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 RATHBUN, M. J. 



1910. The stalk-eyed Crustacea of Peruand 

 the adjacent coast. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 

 38 (1766): 531-620, pi. 36-55. 

 ROBINSON, RICHARD K., and DOLORES E. 

 DIMITROU. 

 1963. The status of the Florida spiny 

 lobster fishery, 1962-63. Fla. St. Bd. 

 Conserv., Tech. Ser. 42, Mar. Lab., 

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 SMITH, F. G. W. 



1958. The spiny lobster industry of the 

 Caribbean. Fla. St. Bd. Conserv., Educ. 

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 TEMPLEMAN, W. 



1940. The life history of the lobster. Dep. 

 Natur. Resourc., Newf., Serv. Bull. 15 

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 TH ORSON, GUNNAR. 



1961. Length of pelagic larval life in ma- 

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 D.C. 



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