Decline of American Lobster Abundance in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Between 2005-2006 and 2013-2014

While American lobster (Homarus americanus) landings in the Gulf of Maine have increased, the landings in Southern New England have declined over the past decade.  In 2005-2006, 13 sites were examined in Buzzards Bay, and the number of lobster per m² was estimated using a ventless trap survey and tagging experiment.  Here we repeat those estimates using similar techniques.  We examined the lobster density at the same locations using the same ventless trap and tagging design during the same months of 2013-2014.  The abundance at each site was statistically compared between the two time periods.  We saw a large decline in the majority of sites.  Decreasing lobster catch per unit effort was correlated with increasing water temperature.  Lobsters in Southern New England are near the threshold of their optimal temperature limit and as sea temperature increases we expect their distribution to shift towards deeper cooler water.