New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
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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