response to onset of maturity or declining late fall-early winter temperatures. Stations 
on the north sides of Keys were within the Florida Bay nursery area, where fishery- 
induced damage to sublegal lobsters probably exceeded legal catch from the area. Legal¬ 
sized lobster constituted 43.7% of total catch; 90% were captured at oceanside 
stations, and nearly half were from the deep reef. Greatest mean sizes at all but one 
station occurred during the closed season or the first month of the open season and 
represented growth among lobsters at each station. Upper Keys stations were more 
productive (average +67%) than were comparable middle Keys stations. Marked 
declines in average size at all stations during winter are attributed to depletion by the 
fishery to legal-sized lobsters and to seaward emigration of relatively larger lobsters 
from shoreward subpopulations. Mean total number of lobsters per trap per week was 
0.84, constituting 0.70 at bay stations and 0.91 oceanside. Legal catch averaged 0.37 
lobsters per trap week, constituting 0.12 at bay stations, 0.50 oceanside. Poundage of 
legal catch during the open season seldom averaged 1 lb per trap per week except at 
deep reef stations, indicating .weekly catch rates less than one third of those two 
decades previous. Female:male ratio (1.2:1) was strongly influenced by significantly 
more females than males at seaward reef stations. Virtually all mating, evidenced by 
external spermatophores on females, occurred among oceanside lobsters, and 88% of 
all activity was found at two deep reef and one shallow (10 m) reef station. Principal 
mating season was from April through June. Spawning, evidenced by externally carried 
eggs, occurred only at oceanside stations; 31.1% of females at two deep reef and one 
shallow reef station were spawning during peak months of May and June. Size of the 
smallest spawning female was 65 mm CL, but greatest spawning contribution (24.5%) 
was in the 81-85 mm size class. Nearly 60% of all eggs were produced by lobsters < 
85 mm CL. Spawning contribution by the Keys population was only 12% of that 
expected from a comparably sized, unharvested population of larger lobsters. Fouling 
by various sessile invertebrates was slight or absent on most lobsters. No correlation 
was found between fouled lobsters and capture location. Indications of molting averaged 
only 1% in the total population, but was significantly more frequent at nearshore (3 - 6 
m) than at seaward (9 - 30 m) stations. Maximum molting frequency (2.7%) during 
April may have been in response to temperature increases. Greatest rates of injury 
occurred at the ends of the 1977 - 78 and 1978 - 79 fishing seasons; injuries declined 
rapidly due to growth and regeneration during the closed season. Unexplainably low 
previous-injury rate of sublegal-sized lobsters during the open season suggests they 
may have experienced considerable mortality due to fishery practices. The sampling 
sites in Florida Bay were at Vaca Key and Matecumbe Key. 
1978 - 1979 
Dunson, W. A. (1980) Osmoregulation of crocodiles in Everglades National Park. Rep. T- 
599. South Florida Research Center, Everglades National Park, Homestead, FL. 29 pp. 
[NO COPY OF PAPER AVAILABLE. ABSTRACT FROM SCHMIDT (1991).] The physiological 
effects of high salinity on young crocodiles, Crocodylus acutus, was examined in 
Florida Bay using measurements of electrolyte composition of plasma and cloacal fluid 
and of possible hatchling food. No final answer can be given to the hypothesis that a 
major portion of crocodile mortality in Florida Bay is associated with osmoregulatory 
problems caused by high salinities. Small C. acutus show few physiological 
specializations for life in saline waters although results indicate that the vicinity of 
many nest sites are saline enough that difficulties could be encountered in water and 
salt balance. The author suggests additional studies are needed to establish their 
mortality under the most stringent salinity regime ever likely naturally to be 
encountered. 
240 
