Andrew Goode, University of Maine
A lobster larval life history model will simulate the drift, growth, and mortality of lobster larvae as determined by coastal flow fields, water temperature at the surface and bottom, and the abundance of the zooplankton Calanus finmarchicus.
In Years 1-2, we will include a statistical distribution model that will inform the location of larval release and incorporation of spatiotemporal variability of egg hatch phenology. Survival of lobster larvae will be modified by their co-occurrence with Calanus.
Regional patterns of postlarval settlement to the seafloor will estimated and calibrated using existing ALSI time series. Settlement densities will inform short-term landings forecasts and in turn, these indices will be compared to annual landings to generate recruitment-to-landing relationships.
Resources
Kathy Mills, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Damian Brady, University of Maine
We will expand upon an existing lobster population model (Le Bris et al., 2018) and extend the model domain to span from southern New England to Newfoundland-Labrador and enhance the spatial resolution to operate at the scale of statistical areas in the U.S. and management areas in Canadian waters.
Resources