New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Review Potential of ecological studies to improve survival of cultivated and released European lobsters, Homarus gammarus

Gro I. van der Meeren

Institute of Marine Research
PB. 1870 Nordnes
NO-5817 Bergen, Norway
email: grom@imr.no

Abstract  Release of hatchery-reared lobsters is often suggested for enhancing recruitment-limited populations. Because of lack of ecological considerations ahead of the releases and the unsuccessful efforts to find juvenile lobsters in the sea, little has been known about survival rates, ecological impacts of the releases, and how to improve the performance of releases. Recent studies of morphology and behaviour in hatchery-reared Homarid lobsters demonstrate that qualitative, small-scale laboratory experiments, in combination with larger-scale field studies can yield such information. This is a review of studies of rearing conditions, transportation, and handling during release that aimed to diminish the occurrence of conspicuous morphology and behaviour in the reared juveniles, causing reduced competitive ability, slow sheltering speed, and thereby high mortality rates in the sea. We need to combine small-scale studies with field studies to be able to confirm the significance of the laboratory results. Based on significant results from the laboratory, we should be able to design field studies with focus on expected ecological “bottlenecks” instead of the trial-and-error-type field studies known from the past, thereby reducing time and investment in the development of viable stock enhancement/sea ranching activities.

Keywords  Homarus gammarus; juvenile ecology; learning, shelter use; competition; predation; laboratory versus field studies

M04019; Online publication date 31 May 2005 Received 8 February 2004; accepted 17 September 2004
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2005, Vol. 39: 399-424
0028-8330/05/3902-0399 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2005

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