Lobster life cycle to go under microscope

Shelburne, NS – A study of the effects of moulting on lobster quality in south western Nova Scotia and the Northumberland Strait is receiving $175,000 in support from the federal government.

The funding will allow scientists at the Atlantic Veterinary College to better understand why lobster harvests have suffered in recent years.

The study is being done in lobster fishing areas in south western Nova Scotia and the Northumberland Strait by the Atlantic Veterinary College Lobster Science Centre of the University of Prince Edward Island. Scientists there are applying the principles of veterinary medicine to the wild lobster fishery, an innovative approach that is yielding a greater understanding of crustacean health, including the moulting part of their life cycle as well as reproduction. The funding will support the purchase of equipment for the field research.

The study is also receiving $25,000 each from the provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and in-kind support from several municipalities and private firms in the study areas.

“The AVC Lobster Science Centre is developing further expertise of health science in these innovative fields of moult and reproductive research,” says Jerry Amirault, chief operating officer of the AVC Lobster Science Centre.