A Fisherman-Scientist Collaboration to Re-assess Lobster Nurseries in Narragansett Bay After Two Decades of Environmental Change
- Program: Southern New England Collaborative Research Initiative (SNECRI)
- Total Amount Awarded: $199,427
- Project Duration: July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2013
- Status: Completed
Project Team:
- Richard Wahle, Ph.D, University of Maine, School of Marine Sciences
- Lanny Dellinger, President, Rhode Island Lobstermen's Association
- Scott Olszewski, Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife
Project Summary:
In this two-year project, the project team will partner with Rhode Island lobster fishermen to evaluate how the abundance of lobster and associated fauna in the nurseries has changed from a time of historic highs to the current period of historic lows, and determine the suitability of different parts of the Bay as a lobster nursery. The team will conduct a retrospective nursery assessment, compare sampling methods, explore potential nursery sites of interest, and conduct a survival and growth assessment.