12 





KENNEBUNKPORT 









10 







X ■ 



86.5 



8 







N ■ 



957 



6 







S » ■ 



0.12 



4 













2 



















I i 1 





1 



1 1 



100 

 BOOTHBAY HARBOR 



CARAPACE LENGTH (mm) 



Figure 2. — Length-frequencies of American lobsters tagged and released at 

 Kennebunkport (6 May 1975), Boothbay Harbor (17 May 197S), and Jonesport 

 (30 May 1975), Maine. 



ged lobsters are crowded together. Other advantages were: 1) 

 reduction of postrelease tag mortality (most deaths attributable 

 to this cause would occur prior to release); 2) opportunity for 

 the sphyrion tag to become firmly attached during the lobster's 



quiescence in "solitary confinement"; and 3) considerable 

 savings in boat-running time by eliminating daily excursions to 

 release lobsters. 



On 6 May, 957 tagged lobsters were released 2 n.mi. (3.7 km) 

 seaward of the mouth of the Kennebunk River. Next on 17 May, 

 942 lobsters were released 10 n.mi. (18.5 km) south of Boothbay 

 Harbor. Finally on 30 May, 983 tagged lobsters were liberated 

 about 12 n.mi. (22.2 km) southwest of Jonesport. Although 

 immediate release points were virtually void of traps, substantial 

 numbers of traps were within 1-5 n.mi (1.9-9.3 km). 



Recovery 



All recapture sites were identified and the latitude and 

 longitude determined and plotted. The straight line distance be- 

 tween release and recapture points was measured and the 

 number of days at liberty were calculated for each lobster. All 

 data were coded and key punched for subsequent tabulation 

 (Krouse 1978). 4 



RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 



Recaptures 



Of 2,882 American lobsters tagged during the spring of 1975, 

 75.9% were recaptured through September 1977 (Table 1). 

 Returns by tagging area were 85.2% at Jonesport, 74.8% at 

 Kennebunkport, and 67.4% at Boothbay Harbor. These different 

 return rates may be explained, in part, by the proximity of 



'Krouse, J. S. 1978. Listing of data for lobsters tagged and recaptured off 

 the Maine coast (1975-77). Research Reference Document 78/8, 37 p. Maine 

 Dep. Mar. Resour., W. Boothbay Harbor, ME 04575. 



Table I.— Monthly tag recoveries of American lobsters by release area off Maine, 1975-77. Numbers in parentheses refer 



to lobsters that moiled. 





Kennebunkport 





Boothbay Harbor 





Jonesport 





Total 





Recaptured 





Recaptured 





Recaptured 





Cumu 

 reti 



lative 





Number 



Cumu 

 Nos. 



ative 



Number 



Cumulative 

 Nos. % 



Number 



Cumulative 

 Nos. % 



trn 



Month 



Nos. 



% 



1975 

























May 



136 



136 



14.2 



18 



18 



1.9 



— 



— 



— 



154 



5.3 



June 



244 



380 



39.7 



176 



194 



20.6 



315 



315 



32.0 



889 



30.9 



July 



119 



499 



52.1 



160 



354 



37.6 



285(1) 



600 



61.0 



1,453 



50.4 



Aug. 



132 



631 



65.9 



145(1) 



499 



53.0 



132(3) 



732 



74.5 



1,862 



64.6 



Sept. 



39(3) 



670 



70.0 



58(4) 



557 



59.1 



60(6) 



792 



80.6 



2,019 



70.1 



Oct. 



17 



687 



71.8 



33(1) 



590 



62.6 



29(7) 



821 



83.5 



2,098 



72.8 



Nov. 



11(3) 



698 



72.9 



9(2) 



599 



63.6 



9(5) 



830 



84.4 



2,127 



73.8 



Dec. 



5 



703 



73.5 



10(2) 



609 



64.7 











2,142 



74.3 



1976 

























Jan. 



3(1) 



706 



73.8 



5(1) 



614 



65.2 











2,150 



74.6 



Feb. 































Mar. 



















KD 



831 



84.5 



2,151 



74.6 



Apr. 











3 



617 



65.5 



2(1) 



833 



84.7 



2,156 



74.8 



May 



KD 



707 



73.9 



2(1) 



619 



65.7 



2 



835 



84.9 



2,161 



75.0 



June 



2 



709 



74.1 



1 



620 



65.8 











2,164 



75.1 



July 



1(1) 



710 



74.2 



2(1) 



622 



66.0 



KD 



836 



85.1 



2,168 



75.2 



Aug. 



KD 



711 



74.3 



2(2) 



624 



66.2 











2,171 



75.3 



Sept. 



3(2) 



714 



74.6 



6(6) 



630 



66.9 



KD 



837 



85.2 



2,181 



75.7 



Oct. 











KD 



631 



67.0 











2,182 



75.7 



Nov. 











1(1) 



632 



67.1 











2,183 



75.8 



Dec. 











3(3) 



635 



67.4 











2,186 



75.9 



1977 

























Apr. 



1(1) 



715 



74.7 



















2,187 



75.9 



May. 



1(1) 



716 



74.8 



















2,188 



75.9 



Sept. 































Totals 



(14) 



716 



74.8 



(26) 



635 



67.4 



(26) 



837 



85.2 



2,188 



75.9 



