APPLICATION OF WATER QUALITY MODELING TECHNOLOGY TO INVESTIGATE THE MORTALITY OF LOBSTERS (HOMARUS AMERICANUS) IN WESTERN LONG ISLAND SOUND DURING THE SUMMER OF 1999

2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 859-864 ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 217 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Magel ◽  
Jeffrey D. Shields ◽  
Richard W. Brill

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 1283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald F. Landers Jr ◽  
Milan Keser ◽  
Saul B. Saila

Population theory predicts that, under conditions of high age/size-specific mortality rates, individuals in highly exploited populations increase their fitness by decreasing size at sexual maturity, relative to less exploited populations. The benefit of early reproductive maturation is that individuals have a higher probability of surviving to maturity and contributing progeny to maintain the population. Empirical evidence, based on morphometric data from nearly 60 000 female lobsters collected since 1981, suggests that size at sexual maturity of female lobsters in Long Island Sound (USA) has recently decreased. Our findings were supported by decreases in average size and increases in abundance of egg-bearing females over the past two decades. Changes in female size at maturity and subsequent higher egg production may also help to explain the recent increase in lobster recruitment and landings. It is unclear whether these changes were caused by density-dependent factors related to the high exploitation of the species, by natural environmental factors (e.g. higher seawater temperatures), or a combination of the two.


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