LOBSTER POPULATION DYNAMICS 



INTRODUCTION 



The American lobster ( Homarus americanus ) is the most valuable 

 commercial species within Long Island Sound (LIS) . Record annual landings 

 in 1983 of 2,04 million pounds were greater than the state's previous best 

 year in 1982 of 1.02 million pounds. The estimated retail value of the 

 1983 catch is in excess of 3 million dollars. The Connecticut Department 

 of Environmental Protection marine fishery statistics indicate that 31% of 

 the total catch was caught in New London County waters. Because of the 

 commercial importance of the local lobster fishery in the Millstone Point 

 area, this population has been monitored since 1969 (Keser et al. 1983; 

 NUSCo 1983b) . The primary objective of this monitoring program is to 

 identify changes in the local lobster population that may be attributable 

 to the operation of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station (MNPS) . Potential 

 stresses associated with power plant operation include: impingement of 

 lobsters on the intake traveling screens, entrainment of larvae through the 

 cooling water systems, and exposure to the effluent. The above stresses 

 may affect survival of lobster larvae and juveniles or alter the behavior 

 of adults resulting in a decline in the local inshore fishery. 



To assess structural changes in the local lobster population, the 

 monitoring program was designed to: quantify catch per unit effort, measure 

 population characteristics (size frequency distribution, sex ratios, female 

 size at sexual maturity, incidence of berried females, growth rates, and 

 incidence of culled lobsters), estimate the size of the lobster population, 

 and establish patterns of lobster movement. To evaluate any changes due to 

 MNPS operation, the results of the study are compared among years, 

 seasonally, between stations, and to studies conducted along the north- 

 eastern coast of North America. 



MJ\.TER1ALS AND METHODS 



Suitable lobster habitats in the vicinity of MNPS (6.5 km^) are 

 characterized by rocky outcrops Interspersed with patches of sand. From 

 May through October 1983, 20 commercial vinyl coated wire pots (76 x 51 x 



