In:
Marine and Freshwater Research, CSIRO Publishing, Vol. 52, No. 8 ( 2001), p. 1095-
Abstract:
The combined effort of assessing abundance and measuring the time between
settlement and recruitment is fundamental to forecasting future recruitment to the lobster fishery. This study represents the first monthly year-round
sampling for abundance and in situ growth of juvenile lobster, Homarus americanus. Juvenile lobsters for
repeated mark-recapture surveys were tagged in situ, so disturbance to the animals was minimal. From direct measurements of tagged
individuals, lobsters up to 17 mm CL were estimated to be within their first two growing seasons. Some juveniles in the study area were recaptured up to
four years later, indicating use of this nursery habitat for the first four to five years of benthic life. The purpose of sampling year-round was to detect
patterns in abundance and identify the optimal time of year for sampling designed to determine trends in abundance. The relative abundances of
young-of-the-year and later juvenile lobsters incorporated significant seasonal cycles (P 〈 0.0001). No monotonic
interannual trend was detected (P 〉 0.05), indicating
no overall increase or decrease in abundance from 1993 to 1999. Year-round monthly sampling of the lobster population is producing valuable information
on patterns in abundance and individual growth rates.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1323-1650
Language:
English
Publisher:
CSIRO Publishing
Publication Date:
2001
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1283028-8
SSG:
12
SSG:
21,3
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