prerecruit size class. Legal CPUE values over all 

 stations during 1986-87 were the lowest reported 

 since this study began, although legal CPUE has 

 declined since 1978 and may be related to the 

 higli fishing pressure in LIS. During simultaneous 

 3-unit operation, a short term impact on lobsters 

 occurred at Jordan Cove in August 1986 due to 

 scouring of fine silt in the discharge area. Silt 

 originating from the discharge area fouled lobster 

 habitat in Jordan Cove and temporarily displaced 

 lobsters. Once sediments stabilized, lobsters 

 reinhabited the area, and catch rates at Jordan 

 Cove in October 1986 and throughout 1987 were 

 normal and typical of previous study results. A 

 similar short term impact occurred following 

 dredging activities in the vicinity of the intakes 

 during 1985; dredging removed lobster habitat 

 (shelters) and thereby displaced lobsters from the 

 area. Lobsters returned to that site soon after the 

 sediments stabilized and CPUE values for 1986-87 

 were comparable to the other stations. 



, and S.L. Waddy. 1980. Reproductive 



Biology. Pages 215-276 in J.S. Cobb, and B.F. 

 Phillips, eds. The Biology and Management of 

 Lobsters, Vol. I, Academic Press, Inc. New 

 York. 



Bibb, B.G., R.L. Ilersey, and R.A. Marcello Jr. 

 1983. Distribution and abundance of lobster 

 larvae {Homarus americanus) in Block Island 

 Sound. U.S. Dep. Commer. NOAA Tech. 

 Rep. NMFS SSRF-775: 15-22. 



Blake, M.M. 1984. Annual progress report Con- 

 necticut lobster investigations, January- 

 December 1983. NOAA-NMFS Project No. 

 3.374-R. 47pp. 



, and E.M. Smith. 1984. A marine resources 



plan for the state of Connecticut. Connecticut 

 Dept. of Environ. Protection, Mar. Fish. 

 244pp. 



Because lobsters require at least 4-5 years of 

 growth before they are vulnerable to our traps, 

 and an additional 2 years to reach marketable 

 size, there is a lag of about 6-7 years between the 

 time of a potential impact on larvae and the time 

 at which we can detect that impact. The sensitivity 

 of our program in defining population trends (i.e., 

 observing the strong prerecruit class in 1982) and 

 impacts (displacement of lobsters as a result of 

 scour and dredging) is vital to the evaluation of 

 impacts associated with the operation of three 

 units at Millstone Point. If changes occur in the 

 local lobster population, they will be detected by 

 the alteration of the basic population parameters 

 now being monitored. Changes in these param- 

 eters during 3-unit operations will demonstrate 

 the effects (if any) of MNPS operations on the 

 local lobster population. 



References Cited 



Aiken, D.E. 1973. Proecdysis, setal development, 

 and molt prediction in the American lobster, 

 {Homarus americanus). J. Fish. Res. Board 

 Can. 30:1337-1.344. 



Briggs, P.T., and F.M. Mushacke. 1979. The 

 American lobster in western Long Island Sound. 

 New York Fish and Game J. 26:59-86. 



. 1980. Tlie American lobster and the pot 



fishery in the inshore waters off the south shore 

 of Long Island, New York. New York Fish 

 and Game J. 27:156-178. 



. 1984. The American lobster in western 



I^ng Island Sound: Movement, growth and 

 mortality. New York Fish and Game J. 

 31:21-37. 



Campbell, A. 1982. Movements of tagged lob- 

 sters released off Port Maitland, Nova Scotia, 

 1944-80. Can. Tech. Rept. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 

 No. 1136 41pp. 



, and A.B. Stasko. 1985. Movements of 



tagged American lobsters, Homarus americanus, 

 off southwestern Nova Scotia. Can. J. Fish. 

 Aquat. Sci. 42:229-238. 



Cobb, J.S., T. Gulbransen, B.F. Phillips, D. 

 Wang, and M. Syslo. 1983. Behavior and 



142 



