Winter

HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
The Newsletter of the Fishermen and Scientists Research Society
Issue: 2013-1
WINTER 2013
FSRS CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF COLLABORATION
By Jack MacAndrew, Communications Committee member, Fishermen and Scientists Research Society
Y
ou can learn a lot of good stuff at the annual
conference of the Fishermen & Scientists
Research Society (FSRS), and the 20th anniversary
session was no exception.
Network operates “…the most extensive telemetry
line in the world”, collecting data on the migratory
movements of Atlantic salmon, sturgeon, cod and
Bluefin tuna, among other species.
Every February the members of our unique
collaboration bring together fishermen and
scientists who study the marine environment to hear
presentations and discuss scientific findings.
And you might come to the conclusion that Grey
seals will eat codfish, sand lance, capelin or any
other species they come across including lobster when fish concentrate on a given bit of ocean
bottom.
This and much more was there to be learned as
more than a 150 working fishermen and scientists
from Atlantic Canada (and including a delegation
of working fishermen from Maine) talked to each
other at the yearly conclave, this year held February
20 and 21 in Truro, Nova Scotia. This year the
conference was proceeded by the FSRS –GOMLF
Collaborative Lobster Science Workshop held on
February 19th.
A couple of "old salts" exchange stories at the 20th annual
conference of the Fishermen and Scientists Research Society.
You learn that you can’t tell whether a female
lobster has reached sexual maturity by its size and
its carapace measurement, for instance. Maturity
varies from district to district depending on
environmental conditions.
You can learn you will hurt the quality of your
lobsters aboard your vessel when you bang your
holding crate full of just landed lobster against the
deck, and that the quality of the catch will be better
on sunny days.
You will learn that Canada’s Ocean Tracking
It’s been happening every year over the past
twenty, as scientists present papers and findings on
projects and contracts undertaken by the FSRS –
with fishermen acting as unpaid researchers for
government and academic scientists who analyze
the data the fishermen turn in to help the
Department of Fisheries and Oceans make
decisions about stock assessments and quotas.
The membership of the FSRS now is nudging 500,
almost half and half between
fishermen and scientists,
and climbing every year.
This year’s sessions were
dominated by perspectives
on the changes being
wrought to the marine
Continued on page 2.
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HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
Continued from page 1.
environment and the life forms existing and
endangered in the deeps.
Once again, the overriding message was clear: you
don’t mess with one aspect of the marine
environment without an effect, often unanticipated,
on some other element in the natural chain of life
under water.
Retiring President (after 10 years) John Levy
opened the 20th gathering with a minute of silence
in memory of the five young fishermen from
southwestern Nova Scotia recently lost at sea, in
one of the most tragic fishing disasters on
Canada’s Atlantic coast in several years.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families”,
said Mr. Levy, and indeed the close to home nature
of the disaster hung like a pall over this year’s
conference.
Mr. Levy closed his welcoming remarks by
thanking those he had worked with over his decade
in office “...the FSRS Board who volunteer their
time and knowledge on issues behind the scenes;
and the fishermen, scientists and others that
volunteer to travel to our conference, to interact
with the different presentations and ask questions
or make comments that get us all thinking, in
perhaps a different way.”
And that, really, is the entire essence at the heart of
this unique organization, formed at a time when, in
the words of one of the founders, “…all we did at
meetings was yell at each other.”
That was about as close as it got to understanding
between scientists and fishermen concerned about
the fate of the commercial fishing industry; and
collaboration became the focus of the FSRS in the
early years.
It was back in a time when the word
“sustainability” had not yet become a catchword to
every aspect of the fishing industry around the
world, and especially with consumers in developed
countries.
In the present, as the organization’s mission
statement spells it out: “The Fishermen and
Scientists Research Society, a non-profit charitable
Continued on page 3.
Inside this Issue
FSRS Celebrates 20 Years of Collaboration ………………………………………………………………………... 1
The FSRS-GOMLF Collaborative Lobster Science Workshop Helps Promote International Collaboration ……… 7
FSRS 20th Annual Conference Presentation Abstracts and Summaries …………………………………………… 8
Hire a Motivated Co-op Student from Dalhousie University!………………………………………………………. 18
Fishermen and Scientists Research Society Lobster Recruitment Index from Standard Traps (LRIST) …………... 19
The FSRS Welcomes New Members ………………………………………………………………………………. 21
Lobster Settlement Collector Project in Coastal Nova Scotia in 2012 ……………………………………………. 22
Patty’s Picks ………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 24
Review of Lobster Homarus Americanus Size at Maturity Research Project …………………………………….. 25
Scientific Program Committee Report and Projects Review ……………………………………………………….. 26
Work Plan 2013 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 32
FSRS 20th Annual Conference Posters and Displays ……………………………………………………………………. 33
FSRS 20th Annual Conference Poster Abstracts …………………………………………………………………... 35
Ecology Action Centre Seeks Climate Change Data from Fishery Workers ………………………………………. 44
FSRS and DFO Collaborate on Herring Tagging Project ………………………………………………………….. 45
Blast From the Past ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 46
FSRS Moored Temperature Gauges ……………………………………………………………………………….. 47
Beachcoming ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 48
Upcoming Events …………………………………………………………………………………………………... 48
Issue: 2013-1
Continued from page 2.
organization, exists to promote the long term
sustainability of our marine fisheries resource
through collaboration between fishermen and
scientists”.
So, scientist Jean Lavallée, in presenting his
travelling roadshow on lobster quality, challenges
his audience with the statement that: “We kill more
lobsters (with poor handling) than most countries
produce.”
He goes on to take his audience through Lobster
Handling 101, pointing out the ways in which
unthinking fishermen drastically decrease the
quality of their catch with rough handling,
freshwater baths, and drastic temperature changes even before it is unloaded onto the wharf.
“A lot of this is just common sense,” he cheerfully
admits, “but common sense can be an uncommon
quality”.
For some, gems like these caused some head
shaking, and not a little self realization: In a survey
of 2191 lobsters fished by 27 different boats,
lobsters caught using mackerel as bait were seven
times more likely to be classified as “ weaks” when
they arrived at a processing plant; and this one –
lobsters caught on a rainy day were six times more
likely to lose vigour than those landed on sunny
days.
It was more a matter of “suspicions confirmed”
when Professor Sara Iverson, from the Ocean
Page 3
Tracking Network (OTN), offered up the clear
finding that “…the ocean is changing, and with it –
the ocean’s physical properties”.
Those changes are being recorded by OTN’s
revolutionary global network of receivers on the
ocean floor, as they are evidenced in the growing
acidity of the water, its temperature, and the
changing nature of migratory and feeding patterns
of animal populations.
Perhaps the most fascinating method of collecting
data employed by the OTN comes by way of a
convergence of technology with animal behaviour:
grey seals fitted with video cameras who then take
pictures of each other and their prey which are
uploaded to satellite, then downloaded to
laboratories for analysis; as well as tagged eels,
codfish and bluefin tuna revealing water
temperature and other elements of their habitat as
they travel on their migratory journeys.
The equipment comes from VEMCO, a company
located in Bedford Nova Scotia, with a worldwide
market for its sophisticated telemetry devices.
“Marine animals serve as powerful indicators of
ecosystem changes,” said Dr. Iverson.
These presentations and others sparked questions
from the assembled fishermen, but always in tones
of great civility, leading FSRS General Manager
Patty King to characterize the 20th anniversary
gathering as “a great turnout, and a very successful
conference”.
Acknowledgements
The Fishermen and Scientists Research Society would like to thank all those who made our 20th
anniversary celebration a success.
Our Sponsors
Silver
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VEMCO division, AMIRIX Systems Inc.
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HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
Bronze
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Atlantic Catch Data
Atlantic Electronics Limited
Atlantic Lobster Sustainability Foundation
Vernon d’Eon Lobster Plugs Ltd.
Breaks
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DSS Marine
Lobster Institute
Advertising
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Atlantic Fisherman, Advocate Media Inc.
Poster Awards
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Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University Science Co-op
The Nova Scotian Institute of Science
University of New Brunswick, Office of Research Services
Dalhousie University Science Co-op
Office of Research Services
Issue: 2013-1
Page 5
Supporters
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Director’s Office, Science Branch, Maritimes Region, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Prospect Area Fulltime Fishermen’s Association
Cansel Wade
Guysborough County Inshore Fishermen’s Association
Maritime Aboriginal Aquatic Resources Secretariate
WHS Enterprises
Our Speakers
Sara Iverson
Dawn Sephton
Vitalii Sheremet
Cassie Stymiest
Patty King
Randy Boutilier
Carl Myers
Derek Fenton
Katherine Hastings
Bénédikte Vercaemer
Yongsheng Wu
Elliott Thomas
Rachel Neuenhoff
Randy Baker
Peter Hurley
Kees Zwanenburg
Scott Coffen-Smout
Dan Shervill
Student posters
Panel of Judges
Hilda Russell
Wilford Smith
Jean Lavallée
Josh Fricker
Angelica Silva
Poster Winners
People’s Choice – Allain Barnett
Judges Choices – 1st – Allain Barnett, 2nd - Brady Quinn, 3rd – Marthe Haarr
Pecha Kucha
Presenters
 Cathy Billings, Associate Director for Communications & Development, Lobster Institute –
“That’s Science”
 Mike Sinclair – "Grey Seals and Cod Interactions on the Eastern Scotian Shelf"
 Bob Branton, Director of Data Management, Ocean Tracking Network, Ocean Tracking
Network – “OTN HALIFAX LINE, World’s Longest Acoustic Receiver Line Now Operational”
 Ashley David, Ship to Shore Program Coordinator, Clean Nova Scotia – “Ship to Shore”
 Allain Barnett – “The Relationships Among Regulations, Fishermen, Government, and Fish:
The Case of the Southwest Nova Scotia Lobster fishery"
Winner
As voted by audience applause – Mike Sinclair
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HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
Dutch Auction Donor List
The Dutch Auction raised over $1,430 this year. A special thanks to the companies who donated the door
prizes and items for the auction.
Acadian Glass Art
Advanced Screen Printing
Andrea's Music Studio
Assante Capital Management Ltd.
Atlantic Electronics Ltd. (Dartmouth)
Atlantic Fisherman
Best Western Glengarry Hotel
Brooks Trap Mill & Marine Supplies
Cansel Wade
Dedrick's Trap Limited
Discovery Centre
Encana Corporation
Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic
Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation
Halifax Mooseheads Hockey Club
Hubert Saulnier
Iron Wind Inc.
Island Traps
Lyle Tilley Davidson
Maine Lobstermen's Association
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association
Runner’s Attic Ltd.
Scott Lewis
Skyze The Limit Art
Sleeman Breweries Ltd.
Snow Crab Science (DFO)
Tide and Times Charter
Trimar Promotional Products
Tusket Toyota
Uma Gandhi
V& R Traps
VEMCO
Victoria Co-op
The Yarmouth County Vanguard
!
u
o
Y
k
Than
Province of Nova Scotia Recognizes FSRS Accomplishments
In acknowledgement of the Fishermen and Scientists Research Society’s 20 years of collaboration, Jim
Boudreau, MLA for Guysborough/Sheet Harbour, on behalf of Sterling Belliveau, Minister of NS Fisheries
and Aquaculture, presented FSRS past-president John
Levy with a certificate of recognition signed by Premier
Dexter.
FSRS past-president John Levy receiving certificate
from Province of Nova Scotia on the FSRS’s 20
years.
Presented by Jim Boudreau MLA
Guysborough/Sheet Harbour.
Issue: 2013-1
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THE FSRS-GOMLF COLLABORATIVE LOBSTER SCIENCE WORKSHOP
HELPS PROMOTE INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
IN LOBSTER RESEARCH
By Shaun Allain, Senior Fisheries Technician, Fishermen and Scientists Research Society
This year the Fishermen and Scientists Research
Society and the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation
teamed up to host the Collaborative Lobster
Science Workshop – Promoting International
Collaboration held on February 19th, 2013 at the
Best Western Glengarry Hotel in Truro, Nova
Scotia. The goal of this year’s workshop was to get
a better understanding of the different types of
research that is taking place on both sides of the
border and to identify ways in which collaboration
on similar work can benefit everyone.
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A large number of presentations took place
throughout the day and showcased the various
types of research projects taking place in Atlantic
Canada and eastern United States. A special thanks
to all the presenters for their interesting and
informative presentations.
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GEAR GRAB: Addressing the Growing
Concern of Derelict Fishing Gear and
Associated Marine Debris in the Gulf of Maine
- Erin Pelletier, Gulf of Maine Lobster
Foundation
Investigating the "Ghost Fishing" Capacity of
Derelict Lobster Traps in the Gulf of Maine Melissa Smith, Maine Department of Marine
Resources
Estimated Economic Impact of Ghost Fishing
from American Lobster Traps - Erin Pelletier,
Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation, presenting
on behalf of Bob Glenn, Massachusetts
Division of Marine Fisheries
Use of Fully Biodegradable Panels to Reduce
Derelict Pot Threats to Marine Fauna - Kory
Angstadt, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Massachusetts Lobster Industry - Where It Fits
Into the World of Homarus americanus: What
is Being Done Related to Management,
Marketing,
Whales,
Promotion
and
Environmental Issues! - Dave Casoni,
Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association
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Alternative Baits:
A Community-Based
Approach - Jean-François Laplante, Merinov
Determination of Age in Lobsters - Raouf
Kilada, University of New Brunswick
Atlantic Lobster Moult & Quality: What Are
We Seeing? - Some Results - Jean Lavallée,
Aquatic Science & Health Services
Lobster Recruitment Index Project Results Shannon Scott-Tibbetts, Fishermen and
Scientists Research Society
Lobster Collector/Settlement Project Update John Tremblay, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Size at Maturity Study Update - Angelica Silva,
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Spatial and Temporal Variation in Larval
Production of American Lobster Homarus
americanus in Atlantic Canada - Marthe Larsen
Haarr, University of New Brunswick (Saint
John)
Following the presentations a plenary discussion
took place to identify opportunities for international
collaboration among the many groups present. A
number of ideas and needs were discussed and
included the need for a cross border protocol on
how we deal with seal depredation on gear.
Invitations to such events as the Canada/US
Lobster Town Hall meetings were also given to the
group as tools for future get-togethers and
discussions.
Copies of the presentations will available at http://
www.fsrs.ns.ca/workshops.html in the near future.
A workshop report is also being prepared and will
be available in early summer on the FSRS website
and in hard copy upon request. Contact
[email protected] to request a copy of the report or
any of the presentations.
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HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
FSRS 20TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES
What Marine Animals Can Tell Us About
Ocean Ecosystems and Climate Change
Presenter: Sara Iverson, Professor, Department of
Biology, Scientific Director, Ocean Tracking
Network, Dalhousie University
Abstract
Oceans make up more than 70% of the earth’s
surface and represent a huge resource that humans
have depended on for centuries. The effects of over
exploitation of marine animals and their habitat, as
well as changing climate continue to impact ocean
ecosystems. Yet marine ecosystems are complex
and difficult to study, and we must better
understand them in order to ensure the future
sustainability of our oceans. Marine animals, from
fishes to polar bears, can offer profound insights
into the ecosystems they inhabit. New studies are
shedding light on species distribution and
abundance, migration patterns, and survival. I will
give examples of studies of marine animals across
the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific, including lessons
we are learning from the global Ocean Tracking
Network (OTN) headquartered at Dalhousie.
Summary
This presentation focused on a review of various
projects that look at the use of marine animals,
ranging from fishes to polar bears, to better
understand and provide insight to their ecosystems
and habitat.
By using fatty acid tracking in higher predators
they have been able to get a better understanding of
the diet of those animals and get a feel for how
predator prey relationships are taking place or how
they may be shifting with the changing
environment.
Tracking technology can also provide a look at how
and when species are using particular habitats and
environments. OTN Canada tracking technologies
have been utilized to answer some of these
questions. American Eels have a long distance to
migrate and have been showing dramatic declines
in numbers in recent years. By tagging individuals
they found that Porbeagle shark predation was
prevalent along certain portions of their route out to
sea (from Northumberland Strait and Gulf of St
Lawrence). They also tagged Atlantic Sturgeon in
the Bay of Fundy area and this information was
used by tidal power companies to judge the best
locations for turbines so as to not interfere with
their migration routes out of the Saint John River.
Tagging of grey seals also took place using VMT
deployers to track their interaction with 300-400
cod and other species that were also tagged. These
seals have been acting as roaming receivers where
OTN arrays do not exist.
Discussion
Comment. I know that seals interact with codfish
and are eating them.
A. We have to tag more fish. This was just a pilot
project. This is critical in order to get a better
understanding of what is going on. We will be
aiming to improve this and get more insight.
Obviously seals could be eating the untagged fish
so the more coverage we have the better data we
will collect.
Q. Is there any work currently being done in the
Gulf on those seals?
A. We had to tag on Sable Island because we knew
we could get those tags back. Bluetooth receivers
(VEMCO) are going on seals in the Gulf this
month. If this works we will implement them for all
tagging initiatives. We are unsure about the timing
of return of the Hag Island seals so haven’t worked
with those seals yet.
Q. Sand lance is the main diet?
A. From the thousands we’ve sampled this is what
we’ve seen. The increase of high fat fish after the
cod collapse has helped the seal population explode
without the cod being there. As well as led to an
increase in the sand lance population due to
lowered cod predation on them.
A. This is talking about the overall population.
Some sub pockets would certainly eat cod as a
Issue: 2013-1
main source of food. i.e. Laurentian Channel - cod
overwintering population; 40-60% of seals’ diet is
cod in this area.
Climate Change and Interactions with Aquatic
Invasive Species
Presenters: Benedikte Vercaemer and Dawn
Sephton, Coastal Ecosystem Science Division,
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Abstract
Invasions of non-native species have increased
largely through human activities in a globalized
world. Aquatic invasive species, such as tunicates
and European Green crabs, have impacted estuarine
communities and habitats since their establishment
in recent decades in coastal Nova Scotian waters.
Climate induced environmental changes are also
affecting aquatic systems and interact with invasive
species by altering mechanisms for transport and
introduction, establishment, distribution and
impact. For example, in a field study conducted
from 2005 to 2011 in southern Nova Scotia, an area
affected by invasions of the Vase tunicate, low
winter and high summer temperatures were shown
to be strongly associated with intra- and interannual variation in larval recruitment. An ongoing
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Aquatic Invasive
Species (DFO-AIS) monitoring program has
focused on documenting the presence and spread of
tunicate species at geo-referenced monitoring
stations since 2006. While some invasive tunicates
are firmly established and spreading in Nova
Scotia, others were not detected until the summer
of 2012. We will present updated distribution maps
for invasive tunicates as well as photographs of
“species to watch for” in Nova Scotian waters.
Summary
The growth and dispersal of invasive species as
well as the introduction of new species is becoming
a big problem in Nova Scotia waters. Current
natural filters that have limited their survival,
reproduction, and dispersal have been affected by
climate change and some species have now been
able to colonize where they once could not.
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Climate change has altered the pathways of species
introduction and has also influenced the
establishment of non-native species by changing
the climate constraints that once existed. It has also
allowed for a change in distribution of pre-existing
invasive species and the impacts that they have.
Research on the Vase tunicate has shown that
temperature trends greatly influence recruitment
patterns. Warmer than usual water temperatures in
the winter months is the likely culprit for high
infestation years as of late. New control strategies
are necessary to adapt to this growing threat.
Why do we care about invasive species?
 Nuisance Impacts – such as ‘biofouling’ and
the cost and effort associated with removing
these species from the hulls of boats, wharves,
etc.;
 Ecological Impacts – destruction and loss of
habitat which has direct impacts on native
species;
 Economic Impacts to Shellfish Culture –
growth on shellfish can limit their growth and
also make them difficult to harvest cost
effectively; and
 Economic Impacts to Fisheries – tunicates can
overgrow on scallops and scallop beds and may
also limit access to habitat and food for larval
fish and crustaceans. The Green crab in Nova
Scotia waters has been an aggressive predator
to clams and may also prey on juvenile lobster.
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Discussion
Q. What is the orange coloured tunicates?
A.It is likely the Violet tunicate which is being
observed more frequently.
Q. Does spraying traps with bleach kill them?
A. Yes and fresh water also works. You would
have to dry your gear on land for four or five days
if you did not spray them with something in order
for the attached species to die off. Vinegar works
on the hull and gear as well.
Q. What are Transportation Canada and
Environment Canada doing about ships bringing
these species over? What are they doing to
compensate for Green crab impacts?
A. There are regulations for ballast water set out by
Transportation Canada. There are now some
licenses to use Green crab as bait.
Brief Notes on Climate Change in Atlantic
Canada
Presenter: Yongsheng Wu, Marine Ecosystem
Section, Ocean and Ecosystem Sciences Division,
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Abstract
In 2011 the Government of Canada initiated a
Climate Change Adaptation Program. The goal of
the program for DFO Science is to provide
information about climate change that DFO can use
in management decisions. The preliminary results
show that the climate in Atlantic Canada is
changing in many aspects, which include (1) Air
temperature is increasing; (2) ocean temperature is
increasing as well; (3) surface stratification is
increasing in most places in Atlantic region; and (4)
dissolved oxygen levels at depth seem to be
decreasing. Nova Scotia is located in the transition
zone between cold fresh water from the north and
warm salty water from the south. Many of the
projected changes in the ocean climate can be
interpreted as a northward shift in this transition
zone. The increase in temperature and stratification
will likely result in a trend towards smaller
phytoplankton species. This will have ecosystem
level impacts – eventually.
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
Summary
In 2011 the Government of Canada started up a
Climate Change Adaptation Program with the goal
for Fisheries and Oceans Canada science branch to
provide information about climate change that can
be used in management decisions. This fall the first
round of analysis will be submitted for review.
The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a climate
phenomenon in the North Atlantic Ocean which
accounts for differences of atmospheric pressure at
sea level. When there is a low pressure system,
warm westward wind anomalies move over the
Labrador Sea and Atlantic Shelf which allow the
currents to move southwest. However, when there
is a high pressure system in effect, strong wind
anomalies blow over the Labrador Sea from the
North American continent and constrict the current
from moving westward. This information is
important to understand since it shows direct
correlation of how changes in air movements and
temperature can have a direct effect on the ocean
climate.
Both air and ocean temperature trends in areas
around the Gulf of St. Lawrence have been
analyzed to determine if there is a correlation
between the two. In this particular area it appears
that the correlation is actually quite strong and for
every 1°C change in air temperature there is a 0.80.9°C change in surface ocean temperature. We can
use this information to forecast ocean temperature
changes at the surface for the future. The extent to
which this relationship holds true is being
investigated in other areas of Atlantic Canada.
Other air and ocean climate changes have been
investigated. Not only is air temperature increasing
but it is having a direct impact, causing ocean
surface temperatures to rise in the Gulf of St.
Lawrence, the Scotian Shelf, and the Gulf of
Maine. An increase in surface stratification is also
being seen in most places, as well as a decrease in
deep water oxygen levels due in part to large scale
ocean circulation changes.
Issue: 2013-1
Building Observing System Deployed on
Lobster Traps Along the Northeast Atlantic
Shelf
Presenter: Vitalii Sheremet, NOAA Woods Hole
Lab
Abstract
During eMOLT (Environmental Monitors on
Lobster Traps): bottom currents project we
developed an inexpensive instrument for measuring
currents from lobster traps. The operation of the
instrument is based on the drag principle of a
buoyant cylindrical pipe. Following a test
deployment of ten instruments in 2008 the design
was improved and we deployed a current observing
system consisting of 50 instruments in 2010 for
two months and 40 instruments for nine months in
2011 with the help of lobstermen volunteers. The
deployment sites were distributed around the Gulf
of Maine in the depth range from 10 to 300m. The
instruments were also equipped with a sensor
measuring the tilt of the trap on the bottom thus
allowing us to detect its movement. On average,
6% of the traps were on a side or upside down with
Tilt > 45 deg. The probability ranged from 0% for
the majority of lobstermen, to as much as 25, 30, or
even 100% for a few. Comparison with the meteo
data from the National Data Buoy Center showed
the movements of the traps in response to high
wind and wave events. In some cases lobster traps
moved every 12h in response to tidal currents. We
present comparison of our observations with the
FVCOM GOM3 30 year hind cast simulations. We
also present progress in the further instrument
development.
Summary
This project was undertaken as part of the eMOLT
program and fitted lobster traps with a relatively
inexpensive monitoring device to measure current
in lobster fishing areas in the Gulf of Maine. Each
instrument was also equipped with a tilt sensor
which essentially would tell you if the lobster trap
had landed on its side or upside down which was
necessary since such an event would affect the
current readings. This sensor was also useful to
determine how the traps moved over time and
during a particular type of weather event.
Page 11
A total of 50 instruments were sent out to volunteer
lobster fishermen to have them deployed on a
lobster trap. At the time of the presentation 29 had
already been returned with data available for
analysis. On average it was determined that when a
trap is deployed it has a 6% chance of landing on
its side or completely upside-down. This happened
more often in some and trap designs need to be
added to quantify this finding.
It is hoped that this information will someday help
predict lobster landings based on what type of
currents are being observed. Before this is possible
more information will be needed on the type of trap
where the devices are deployed, as well as overall
landings of lobster which is information that
fishermen will have to volunteer to provide. Efforts
are also being made to establish long-term
monitoring sites on moorings as opposed to lobster
traps, and to have this information available for
nationwide ocean observing systems.
Environmental Monitors on Lobster Traps
(eMOLT): 2013 Update
Presenter: Elliott Thomas, Lobster Fisherman,
Maine
Abstract
The warmest bottom waters since the eMOLT
project began in 2001 were recorded by New
England lobstermen this past year. A few slides
will be presented showing this result. While
unlikely related to this event, the unusual extrusion
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of the Gulf Stream briefly warming the shelf waters
south of New England the previous year 2011 will
also be described. Other aspects of the eMOLT
project presented will include a quick update on the
status of the student-built, fishermen-deployed,
satellite-tracked drifters and the upcoming
workshop to build them at Acadia University. The
cameras-on-lobster-traps project slide will include
links to the image collection and a few interesting
videos. One slide refers to the bottom current
meters but that is covered in a separate talk by
Vitalii Sheremet, the lead developer. The real-time
bottom temperature probe that unloads its data
automatically and wirelessly when hauled on deck
will be discussed. This talk will be brief but the
audience is encouraged to discuss the topics in
detail with other potential attendees (Dave Casoni,
Erin Pelletier, Cassie Stymiest, Bobby Ingalls,
Peter Moore) who, along with the presenter, Elliott
Thomas, are familiar with the various aspects
covered, or email [email protected].
Summary
Similar to what many in Nova Scotia and other
areas of Atlantic Canada have observed,
temperature probes for the eMOLT project proved
that 2012 was the warmest year on record for water
temperature in the Atlantic Region. As seen in the
graph below, Elliott’s eMOLT temperature probe
in Casco Bay showed an above average
temperature trend in the winter months over the ten
year range in data that is available.
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
‘Drifters’ are currently still being deployed and are
continuing to bring back data on ocean currents
based on their movements. “Drifter Building
Workshops” are taking place to teach the public
about building their own drifters to deploy as part
of school projects and other public events. One of
these is scheduled to take place at Acadia
University this summer. More funding is currently
being sought out to have more of these deployed
off the coast of Nova Scotia. To see where the
drifters are currently located check out: http://
www.nefsc.noaa.gov/drifter/drift_X.html
Cameras were also fitted to some lobster traps and
proved it was possible to observe behaviour and
interactions of species within the trap. New GoPro
cameras may prove to have a longer battery life and
quality of video in 2013. More will be implemented
as funding becomes available. Another new
development this year was the implementation and
testing of the ‘Real-time Temperature Probe’ which
automatically downloads temperature data to the
wheelhouse computer whenever it is hauled on
deck. So far things look promising and the next
step will be to implement GPS data as well as
automatic uploading to the NOAA server.
With a wealth of data on temperature trends being
collected on both sides of the border much work is
being put into proposals so that the FSRS and
eMOLT data can be merged together to more
efficiently demonstrate trends being observed.
Warming Waters in the Gulf of Maine
Presenter: Cassie Stymiest, NERACOOS
Abstract
NERACOOS,
the
Northeastern
Regional
Association of Coastal and Ocean Observing
Systems, will highlight some findings on warming
waters in the Gulf of Maine, and will present their
new display of ocean and weather climate
information. NERACOOS is the northeast region
of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System
(IOOS). For over a decade a system of buoys from
Long Island Sound to the Gulf of Maine have been
collecting hourly ocean and weather information.
These observations include observations at the
Issue: 2013-1
surface and throughout the water column and the
systems are sustained by key partners such as the
University of Maine.
Summary
The Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal
Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS) is the
trusted source of regional ocean and weather
information from Long Island Sound to the Gulf of
Maine. The group acts as a network of observers,
modellers, forecasters, data managers and tool
developers to produce practical solutions to realworld problems. These solutions are aimed to
protect and enhance people’s lives, livelihoods, and
their quality of life as a whole. They are helping to
improve efficiency and safety of shipping and other
maritime industries as well as enhancing search and
rescue and spill response efforts. Managers and
property owners are being equipped with forecast
and observation tools to help save lives and
properties. These observation systems are also
being used to manage red tides, beach closures, and
water quality issues.
NERACOOS is detecting and predicting changes in
key ocean properties such as sea level, temperature,
and ocean acidity, all of which have huge potential
impacts on the Gulf of Maine ecosystem. Primary
production cycles may alter as zooplanktons
species begin to disappear which are key prey for
herring, sand lance, mackerel, and the Northern
Right whale. This can also change predator-prey
interactions and completely alter the species
composition in the Gulf of Maine. For example the
Northern shrimp is at risk of hatching earlier in the
winter, far in advance of the phytoplankton blooms
they rely on as a source of food; timing of lobster
moult cycles and their susceptibility to shell disease
may also be altered.
Much monitoring and predictions are currently
being undertaken by the group but support is
needed to continue these long-term observations.
More ships are needed to aid in deployment and
maintenance of gear, measurement on fixed
moorings, satellites, better models, autonomous
samplers, and data integration with other groups are
all future steps that will ensure that this information
Page 13
continues to be used in a productive manner. The
NERACOOS website is equipped with a number of
tools to look at historical, real-time, and forecasted
information
and
can
be
accessed
at
www.neracoos.org
Enhancement Options for Atlantic Cod in the
Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence
Presenter: Rachel Neuenhoff, University of British
Columbia
Abstract
Two decades of a commercial fishing moratorium
on Atlantic cod in the southern Gulf of St.
Lawrence has not stopped the population decline.
Some hypothesize that high predation rates by grey
seals have hampered recovery by increasing natural
mortality to unprecedented levels. However, there
is uncertainty about when, where and how much
cod are being consumed. We are testing the seal
predation hypothesis using existing 4T cod stock
assessment estimates of natural mortality in a
modified catch-at-age model. Natural mortality is
decomposed into seal predation mortality and
residual natural mortality; and predicted seal
predation mortality is used to estimate per capita
consumption of cod by grey seals. Functional
responses will be fit to predicted consumption rates
and cod biomass to determine the potential of grey
seals to limit cod in the southern Gulf of St.
Lawrence. Results will be placed within a decision
network for the southern Gulf ecosystem.
Summary
There are a number of hypotheses out there that
attempt to explain why the Atlantic cod population
has not bounced back with the moratorium on
fishing in effect. One is that smaller fish species
that were once prey for adult cod are now able to
feed on juvenile cod and prevent many from
reaching adulthood. Another is that poor body
conditions are affecting natural mortality before
seals or other predators can get to them. The more
common hypothesis is that the large success of
Grey seal populations is to blame for a continued
reduction in the cod stock.
Rachel is attempting to utilize both a modelling and
Page 14
social component to answer some of these
questions about seals and cod with a simple
objective to inform management of her findings.
The goal is to provide a range of possible options
and use survey results from fishermen to help rule
out some possibilities. The southern Gulf of St.
Lawrence was chosen as the sample site since there
has been on ongoing research vessel program since
the 1960’s, providing a wealth of randomized data
available on a number of different species.
The best way to go about this would be to
determine exactly how many cod each Grey seal is
eating to determine mortality by predation. Seal
stomachs have been analyzed but unfortunately
seals move around a lot so it can not be determined
where the cod are being eaten and at what times.
The stomach content data that we do have is
certainly nowhere near enough for a strong sample
size and because of this, it is not currently possible
to give a reliable estimate of cod being eaten by
seals. If we can determine the rate of natural
mortality of cod and eliminate death by disease and
old age, we are left with death by predation. This
covers the modelling component.
The rest of her research is centered on a survey
geared toward fishermen to help determine in what
ways seals have affected fishermen and how this
has changed over time. The questions were geared
towards understanding operating costs, market
value, problems with gear, predation issues, and
problem locations and times of year.
More survey results are needed but so far much has
been learned:
 Seal worm appears to be more of a problem
than originally believed;
 There are reports of seals following fishermen
to fishing grounds and consuming large
quantities of fish before the fishermen can set
gear;
 There is much fear that there will be fewer
fishing opportunities in the future;
 There seems to be a bias toward the feelings of
Grey seals. Fisheries that were not directly
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER


impacted by seals tend to not have an issue with
them;
Grey seal interaction happens frequently in the
northern Gulf;
Fishermen
have
developed
avoidance
strategies.
Rachel still needs help in getting more surveys
filled out and returned to her. If you feel that you
have some valuable insight to add you can contact
her to receive a copy of the survey at Rachel
Neuenhoff, University of British Columbia, Marine
Mammal Research Unit, AERL, Room 247, 2202
Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6T 1Z4;
email: [email protected]
Marine Protected Area Network Planning in the
Scotian Shelf Bioregion: A Look at Ecologically
and Biologically Significant Areas in the
Atlantic Coast Planning Area
Presenters: Katherine Hastings, Derek Fenton,
Oceans and Coastal Management Division,
Fisheries and Oceans Canada – Maritimes Region
Abstract:
Establishing a network of Marine Protected Areas
(MPAs) in Canadian waters is a proactive approach
to safeguarding our oceans for the benefit of future
generations. Such action is needed in the face of
mounting threats to ocean ecosystems, which
include species depletion, habitat destruction,
pollution, and climate change. When designed
properly, an MPA network can have many
ecological and human use benefits. With the help
of stakeholders, a plan for establishing a network of
MPAs on the Scotian Shelf will be developed
during the next several years. Both ecological and
human use data will be carefully considered during
the development of the network plan, with the
intention of maximizing ecological protection
while minimizing socioeconomic impact. To date,
most of the ecological data has been compiled for
the region, while human use data compilation is
still in progress. During this presentation, one of
the ecological data layers was discussed in some
detail. Specifically, a refined set of ecologically
Issue: 2013-1
and biologically significant areas (EBSAs) that
occur along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia was
introduced. These are areas known to be ‘special’
for one or more reasons. EBSAs are not MPAs, but
they will act as a key guide in the MPA network
planning process. A full technical report outlining
the importance of these special areas will be made
publically available this year.
Summary
This presentation focused on the proposed
developments of Marine Protected Area (MPA)
networks as well as their purpose and benefits of
their establishments. It also went over Ecologically
and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSA’s) and
explained how they differ from MPA’s.
The ocean ecosystem is under a lot of pressure
from a variety of human activities that can lead to
species depletion, disruption of ecosystems, habitat
destruction and pollution. Climate change is also
adding a number of variables to the mix. Due to
these concerns proposed MPA networks are being
put in place to maintain and restore ecosystems.
They work to protect biodiversity, unique features
and critical ecological processes while benefiting
humans by contributing to long term sustainable
fishing, as well as recreational and research
opportunities. These networks are a commitment
by the Government of Canada as part of the
Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10)
which is an international commitment to conserve
10% of coastal and marine areas by 2020. The
planning process for these networks is proceeding
in 13 ecologically defined bioregions, one of which
being the Scotian Shelf Bioregion.
The requirements for a network involves:
containing EBSA’s, have representative habitat
types, allow for connection between sites, be large
enough to achieve objectives, and have more than
one of each type of site. In the Scotian Shelf
Bioregion a number of EBSA’s have already been
identified and the next steps are to acquire more
socioeconomic information, prepare data for the
next round of analysis, and develop a strategy to
begin consultations. It should be noted that the
EBSA’s are not MPA’s and not all of them will
become MPA’s. They simply outline areas of
Page 15
known significance based on a number of criteria to
help get the planning process for networks going.
To date, the EBSA’s in our bioregion have been
compiled using only ecological data and human use
data (ie. fishing) and is being compiled as a
separate exercise through the consultation process.
Ongoing data validation is needed and more
research is required to better understand these
special areas. There will be continued work with
partners and stakeholders, and the general public
will have many opportunities to be involved in this
consultation process. The plan to do so is currently
underway and is the crucial next step in the
process. The goal is to have a network plan in
effect by 2015/2016 from which future MPA’s will
be chosen and placed into networks.
Discussion
Q. What is the selection process for MPA’s? The
Bras d’Or Lakes are very unique and got very little
help for MPA status and ended up going to the UN
to be declared a biosphere. Why do far better
candidates get overlooked?
A. That is a great point about the Lakes. There are
so many socio-economical things to consider with
each area. It takes so much time to go through. This
does not mean an area will not be designated within
the network once the process is complete.
Comment. There was a comment about the
implications of MPA’s squeezing fishermen into
smaller spots and increasing local competition for
fishing.
A.The Bras d’Or Lakes in Cape Breton have been
designated a Biosphere reserve under UNESCO.
DFO would not designate it as a MPA at this time
but it is an unique area of Nova Scotia.
Q.Why was St Ann’s Bank considered for a MPA
instead of other areas in the Cape Breton area such
as Sydney Bight, Bird Island. Why do some
candidates get chosen over others?
A. Some areas involve more parties and have more
issues to be resolved and the “easier” options get
chosen first.
Q. How do fishermen get comments to DFO?
Page 16
A. Formal/informal meetings are arranged to
discuss issues. Also like to use venues such as the
FSRS conference to give updates on the MPA
process.
Validation of Maritimes Region Inshore Lobster
Landings and Effort Mapping
Presenters: Scott Coffen-Smout and Dan Shervill,
DFO Oceans and Coastal Management Division
Abstract
Mapping the distribution and intensity of inshore
lobster fishing activity have management
applications beyond classifying fishing intensity,
harvest levels, and potential differences in lobster
production. Mapping inshore lobster fishing is
constrained by a lack of region-wide coordinate
data reporting requirements for lobster effort and
landings. This presentation described an analysis of
Maritimes Region lobster logbook data reported at
a grid level, including Bay of Fundy Grey Zone
data reported at the coordinate level. Annual and
composite (2008–2011) grid maps were produced
for landings, number of days fished, number of
traps hauled, and the same series standardized by
grid area, as well as maps of catch weight per
number of traps hauled as an index of catch per unit
effort (CPUE). Spatial differences in fishing
pressure, landings and CPUE are indicated in the
maps, and potential mapping applications were
outlined. Industry feedback is solicited as part of
the validation process before the maps are used in
decision support.
Summary
The purpose of this project is to create and use
lobster landing and fishing effort maps to identify
important fishing areas in the Maritimes Region.
They are looking to receive endorsement for the
map usage to serve a number of purposes including
management programs within DFO.
There a number of potential applications for these
maps. For example, they can be used in spatial
planning to mitigate human use conflicts, advise in
the
MSC
certification
process,
inform
environmental emergency response protocols, and
monitor compliance in conservation areas and
MPA’s. Much of the data about lobster has been
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
compiled from fishermen’s logbook and is grid
specific. Annual totals of effort and landings were
calculated for each grid number per calendar year
and over a four year period (2008-2011). Data
where grid cells were not reported were excluded
from this analysis due to the lack of absolute
certainty of where fishing occurred. These maps
also play a role as an indicator of spatial biological
productivity of grid cells and areas as a whole.
Some gaps in this data set do exist and include the
US Grey Zone data on lobster fishing, trap haul and
catch weight data that is lacking grid cell
information, as well as aboriginal fishing for food,
social, and ceremonial purposes.
A number of questions still need to be answered.
Are all caveats and pitfalls identified? Is there a fair
representation of inshore lobster activity? What
additional validations are required? Work is still
being done and the ultimate goal is to gain approval
for future applications of map products for resource
management.
Discussion
Q. There is good data available on the past four
years of fishing but the effort changes every year.
The effort put into fishing can be drastically
different from one year to the next. How can these
maps work if effort is not a stable factor?
A. Ideally we would like to update maps every five
years, due to personnel restrictions. But we do have
the yearly data available so it is fairly easy to
update.
Issue: 2013-1
Comment. Some fishermen are upset that the data
that is being compiled through fishermen’s
logbooks is being used beyond the initial scope; in
some cases without the fishermen’s knowledge.
A.We hope to have more consultation with industry
and get endorsement for use of this information.
Conserving Sea Turtles in Canada
Presenter: Kathleen Martin, Executive Director,
Canadian Sea Turtle Network
Abstract
Since 1998, the Canadian Sea Turtle Network has
worked with fishermen in Nova Scotia to conserve
endangered leatherback sea turtles. In this
presentation we will talk both about the natural
history of the leatherback and what we've
accomplished and learned about them with
the help of the fishing community.
Summary
Much like the FSRS, the Canadian Sea Turtle
Network is a non-profit organization involving
scientists, fishermen, and local community
members. Their mandate is to conserve endangered
sea turtles in Canadian waters by educating
fishermen about the threats to turtles getting
entangled in fishing gear and drowning and also to
do as much research as possible to help better
understand these mysterious creatures. The group is
also celebrating a milestone this year, marking their
15th anniversary of working on sea turtle
conservation issues in Nova Scotia. As it turns out,
the first photo the group received of a Leatherback
Sea Turtle in our waters came from FSRS member
and fisherman Terry Baker who met the group at a
FSRS meeting in the organization’s early days.
Leatherback Sea turtles are among the largest
reptiles in the world, measuring up to 2 meters in
carapace length and approximately 900lbs in Nova
Scotia waters. They usually nest at night on tropical
beaches with the eggs taking anywhere from 60 to
120 days to hatch. They start off very small and
move to the water immediately after birth. There is
little information on what happens to them between
Page 17
the time they hit the water for the first time to when
they are about 1 meter in carapace length. Adult
turtles have the ability to dive great depths of over
1km for up to an hour without needing to surface.
The initial question proposed when turtles started
showing up in our waters was ‘why would they
leave the tropics to come up to a more turbulent sea
state?’ They come up this way to feed on jelly fish,
which have been showing up in greater numbers in
recent years. The leatherbacks have large spikes in
their esophagus that are used to break the jellies.
They eat anywhere from 726-1800lbs (wet weight)
of jelly fish a day, so you can imagine what state
our ocean would be in without the turtles. Turtles
are visual predators and can only swim forward
which is why they so easily get hooked in fishing
gear that jellies are attached to or are near.
After spending a summer travelling around the
province to raise awareness of Leatherbacks and
ask for fishermen’s help to report any sightings the
group received calls from 171 fishermen. This
completely changed what was once thought of the
distribution range of leatherbacks and was proof
that they do in fact use our waters as habitat. The
next step was to place satellite tags on the turtles to
determine where they went when fishermen were
not on the water to observe them. Since male
leatherbacks never return to land, this gave a first
time look at their movement patterns and showed
that they likely breed in waters near beaches where
females lay eggs. The tags showed that turtles have
a large distance to migrate and usually leave Nova
Scotia in October to head south to nest. By tagging
females that go back to land to lay their eggs they
have been able to retrieve some of these satellite
tags.
Discussion
Q. Is there a method to determine the age of a
Leatherback?
A.There is no known way to do so. First of all they
are not able to survive in tanks to be able to have an
individual of known age and we do not know when
they become sexually mature. Other species of sea
Page 18
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
turtles have claws that cross sections can be taken
of but this isn’t the case for leatherbacks. Lots of
attempts have been made but so little is still known
about them that it has yet to be possible.
Q. How far north have you observed them?
A. We have recorded sightings that reach up as far
as the northern coast of Labrador.
Acknowledgements:
All presentation summaries and discussions were
completed by Shaun Allain, Senior Fisheries
Technician, Fishermen and Scientists Research
Society.
The discussions following the presentations are
presented as recorded and interpreted in the
rappatours notes. The remarks were not confirmed
with or edited by the participants. While every
effort was made to ensure accuracy, it is possible
that errors or misinterpretations may have
occurred. Some of the discussion questions and
answers may have been edited for clarification.
Copies of the presentations will available at http://
www.fsrs.ns.ca/conference.html in the near future.
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Issue: 2013-1
Page 19
FISHERMEN AND SCIENTISTS RESEARCH SOCIETY LOBSTER
RECRUITMENT INDEX FROM STANDARD TRAPS (LRIST)
By Shannon Scott-Tibbetts, Research Biologist, Fishermen and Scientists Research Society
T
he Lobster Recruitment Index from Standard
Traps (LRIST) Project began in the spring of
1999. The goal of the project was to provide an index of the number of lobsters that will moult into
legal size in the coming seasons. The project was
initiated by the Fishermen and Scientists Research
Society (FSRS) in cooperation with the Population
Ecology Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(DFO) at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography
(BIO). The initial phase of the project was planned
for five years but after reviewing the project’s usefulness, it is scheduled to continue for the foreseeable future.
Figure 1. Lobster Recruitment trap and measuring gauge.
Currently the project involves over 140 volunteer
fishermen fishing two, three or five standard traps
each in fixed locations. The traps are fished in
locations from the northern tip of Cape Breton
around the southern tip of Nova Scotia and up the
Bay of Fundy. The lobster fishing areas (LFAs)
represented are 27, 28, 29, 30, 31a, 31b, 32, 33, 34
and 35.
The standard trap used is constructed with one inch
wire mesh, five inch entrance rings, and no escape
mechanisms. The fishermen determine the sex of,
and measure all the lobsters they catch in the
standard traps. The lobster’s carapace is measured
into one of 15 size groups using a specially
designed gauge.
Participating fishermen also monitor bottom
temperatures using a Vemco temperature logger
placed in one of their standardized traps. Once the
data has been returned to the FSRS office, the
loggers are downloaded and a graph of the
temperatures collected by each participant is
generated and a confidential report is sent to each
participant. Figure 2 shows an example of a yearly
summary graph for one area in the study. The
collected bottom water temperatures are forwarded
to the oceanographers at the BIO and are a great
addition to their coastal temperature monitoring
database.
(http://www.bio.gc.ca/science/datadonnees/base/cts-eng.php).
Page 20
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
Figure 2. Example of a yearly summary temperature graph.
Update Fall 2011 and Spring 2012
In Fall 2011, we had 72 participants fishing 210
science traps. There were 4,551 trap hauls with
24,595 lobsters measured. An example of the
catches for one of the sampled areas can be seen in
Figure 3. In this figure, there were 25 participants
with 7.54 lobsters/ trap haul. In this particular area,
it can be seen that there was an increase in the
number of lobsters caught in the science traps in
2011. When we look at the results we look at the
yearly trends over time and look back 5-6 years at
the 61-70mm, 71-80 mm sizes to see if they have
recruited into the fishery (81-90mm).
Figure 3: Summary of catch from LFA 34 2011.
Issue: 2013-1
Page 21
In Spring 2012, we had 148 participants fishing
556 science traps. There were 21,864 trap hauls
with 83,430 lobsters measured. In Figure 5, there
were 25 participants and 5.92 lobsters measured/
trap haul.
For any additional information on this article or on
the Lobster Recruitment Project, please contact
Shannon at: [email protected]
Figure 4: Fall 2011 participants.
Figure 5: Spring 2012 participants
W
THE FSRS WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
e welcome twenty-two new members to the Fishermen and Scientists Research Society, whose
applications were approved at the January and February, 2013 Board of Directors meetings. The
more members we have, the greater is our ability to achieve our mandate and promote the sustainability of
our marine fisheries resources. We have every expectation that our newbie FSRS members will make
useful contributions to the society.
Andrea Battison
Beth Casoni
Mauricio Castrejón
Mark Chafey
Fraser Clark
Antneh Giday
Catalina Gomez
Claudia Gomez Alfaro
Phoebe Jekielek
Jean-Francois LaPlante
Steven Lyons
Hugh MacDonald
Erin Miller
Samson Osunlana
Hilda Russell
Vitalii Sheremet
Sarah Stewart-Clark
Feng Tang
Wayne Clark
Yusu Wor
Owen Nichols
Page 22
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
LOBSTER SETTLEMENT COLLECTOR PROJECT IN COASTAL NOVA
SCOTIA IN 2012
By John Tremblay, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Tricia Pearo, Fishermen and Scientists Research Society, and Shelley
Armsworthy, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
2
012 was the sixth year of the lobster collector
project on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia.
The project uses passive collectors (wire mesh
lined cages filled with rocks) to sample young-ofthe-year lobster (“YOY” or “settlers”). Collectors
are used to provide annual estimates of the
abundance of YOY which use the shelter-providing
habitat of the collectors to settle. Juvenile lobsters
that settled in previous years are also sampled, and
it may be possible to use their number in collectors
as an indicator of juvenile lobster abundance. The
project is a collaboration between DFO and the
FSRS.
The Guysborough County Inshore
Fishermens Association (GCIFA) is a partner,
deploying collectors in the Canso-Whitehead area.
The collector project in coastal Nova Scotia is part
of the American Lobster Settlement Index (ALSI)
Collaborative, which includes coastal New
England, the Bay of Fundy and the southern Gulf
of St. Lawrence. Lead by Rick Wahle at the
University of Maine, ALSI forges links among
different projects and allows a look at the large
scale patterns in lobster settlement as well as their
underlying causes. Collectors have also been
deployed in the Bay of Fundy as part of the
NSERC Lobster Node project by Rémy Rochette
and numerous students at the University of New
Brunswick. While the main focus of the ALSI is
lobster settlement, many other species are sampled
by the collectors. This biodiversity component is
the subject of another study.
The first collectors in Atlantic Canada were
deployed in Lobster Bay in 2007. In subsequent
years the DFO-FSRS project added additional sites
from Cape Breton to St. Mary’s Bay. Lobster Bay
still has the highest number of collectors, and is the
only site where another method of sampling has
been used. This method is suction sampling by
SCUBA, and DFO has employed this method in
Lobster Bay in 2005 and each year from 2007 to
2012.
Figure 1. Map showing location of settlement collector
sites. A = False Bay, B/C =Canso and Whitehead, E = Port
LaTour, F/G =Lobster Bay shallow and deep sites, H/I = St.
Mary's Bay sites
In 2012, a total of 430 collectors were deployed in
five regions along the coast of Nova Scotia (Figure
1, Table 1).
Collectors were set in singles or in trawls, with
surface buoys in some areas (False Bay and Canso
area). In the areas with no surface buoys, the
collectors were grappled. Bottom temperatures
were also recorded in each region, using VEMCO
data loggers attached to the collectors.
All
collectors were hauled from mid-October to early
November.
Issue: 2013-1
Page 23
Table 1. Summary of 2012 collector deployments and numbers of lobsters.
Count
Number per m²
Number of Settlers
Lobsters
Settlers
Lobsters
Region
Site
collectors (<13 mm CL) (>= 13 mm CL) (<13 mm CL) (>= 13 mm CL)
False Bay West (deep)
25
0
13
0.00
0.93
West (shallow)
25
2
20
0.14
1.43
Total
50
2
33
0.07
1.18
CansoWhitehead Glasgow Head
47
2
5
0.07
0.19
Whitehead
50
2
13
0.07
0.46
Total
97
4
18
0.07
0.33
Port
LaTour
Inside
27
2
16
0.13
1.06
Outside
25
4
8
0.29
0.57
Total
52
6
24
0.21
0.82
Lobster
Abbotts
Bay
Harbour Island
25
1
18
0.07
1.29
Canoe Island
25
2
14
0.14
1.00
French Point
15
0
14
0.00
1.67
Gooseberry
Island
13
2
8
0.27
1.10
John's Island
30
4
10
0.24
0.60
Lears Island
25
1
20
0.07
1.43
Lobster Island
15
0
17
0.00
2.02
Total
148
10
101
0.12
1.22
St. Mary's
Bay
Big Shoal
20
1
15
0.09
1.34
Cherry Valley
20
4
26
0.36
2.32
Long Beach
9
3
10
0.40
1.98
McCormick’s
10
2
7
0.54
1.25
Skinny Shoal
20
3
7
0.27
0.63
Total
79
13
65
0.29
1.47
All Areas
426
35
242
0.15
1.01
Compared to previous years, the settlement index
(number per m2) was stable or showed a slight
increase at most sites (Figure 2). The index was
highest for St. Mary’s Bay (outer), and lowest for
False Bay and Canso-Whitehead. The location
with the most years of sampling and sites is Lobster
Bay. Settlement in 2012 at the three shallow sites
was again low relative to 2007 and 2009. The
Lobster Bay deep site has had low but stable
settlement over the six years.
2
The trend in the juvenile index (numbers per m )
differs between eastern and western sites (Figure
3). At the False Bay and Canso/Whitehead sites,
the index was up in the last 1-2 years, while at all
of the western sites except St. Mary’s Bay, the
juvenile index has declined in the last two years.
Right now we cannot say whether the trends in the
settlement and juvenile indices will be carried
through to fishable sizes in the coming years.
Analysis to try and understand what factors are
causing the variation between sites and years is
underway.
Having continued this project for 6 years is an
achievement in itself given the challenges of
funding. As we are just beginning to see patterns in
settlement, it is hoped that the project will continue
in 2013 and beyond.
Page 24
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
Acknowledgements - Thanks to all of the
fishermen who participated (Carl, Ashton, Aubrey,
and Adam Spinney, Mark Gidney, Mitchell Scott
and Wayne Milbury, Joseph Smith, Devan
Waybret, David and Donald Ferguson, Francy
Thomas, and Steven Lyons). Their skills and
knowledge are greatly appreciated. Thanks to
personnel from FSRS (Shaun Allain) DFO (Manon
Cassista Da-Ros, Cheryl Denton, Angelica Silva)
and GCIFA (responsible for Canso-Whitehead
collectors, together with A. Silva). Thanks also to
the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and
Aquaculture and DFO for supporting the project.
Juveniles in Collectors by Site, 2007-2012
20
07
20
08
20
09
20
10
20
11
20
12
20
07
20
08
20
09
20
10
20
11
20
12
Settlers in Collectors by Site, 2007-2012
A.False.Bay
B.Canso.Whitehead
C.Canso.Glasgow
A.False.Bay
B.Canso.Whitehead
C.Canso.Glasgow
E.Port.LaTour
F.Lobster.Bay.shallow
G.Lobster.Bay.deep
2.0
1.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.5
0.0
0.0
E.Port.LaTour
F.Lobster.Bay.shallow
G.Lobster.Bay.deep
0.5
Number per m2
Number per m2
2.0
1.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
H.StMarys.inner
0.0
I.St.Marys.outer
H.StMarys.inner
I.St.Marys.outer
2.0
1.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.5
0.0
20
07
20
08
20
09
20
10
20
11
20
12
20
07
20
08
20
09
20
10
20
11
20
12
0.0
Year
Year
Figure 2. Trends in numbers of settlers (< 13 mm CL) over the Figure 3. Trends in numbers of juveniles (>= 13 mm CL) over
years of sampling. Dashed line at 0.2 per m2 is for reference. the years of sampling. Dashed line at 0.5 per m2 is for
See Figure 1 for map.
reference. See Figure 1 for map.
PATTY’S PICKS
WEB SITES OF INTEREST
OTN Newsletter: http://oceantrackingnetwork.org/news/pdf/winter-2013-newsletter
OTN Bulletin: http://otncanada.org/news/aug-2012-bulletin
Do you know of a web site of interest? Send your suggestions to [email protected].
Issue: 2013-1
Page 25
REVIEW OF LOBSTER HOMARUS AMERICANUS SIZE AT MATURITY
RESEARCH PROJECT
By Angelica Silva, Coastal Ecosystem Science Division, and Julien Gaudette, John Tremblay, and Douglas Pezzack, Population
Ecology Division, Fisheries and Oceans
A
study to determine female lobster size at
maturity in various fishing grounds along
Nova Scotia was initiated in 2008 in LFA 31A and
in 2009 in LFA 33 by Fisheries and Oceans
Canada (DFO) (See FSRS newsletter issue 20121). Expansion to include two other fishing areas
was possible in 2010 in collaboration with FSRS
and funding from the Province of Nova Scotia and
Fisheries and Oceans. FSRS did sample LFA 32
and LFA 34 during 2010 and 2011 and DFO
conducted evaluation of maturity. In 2012
sampling and evaluation of maturity was carried
out by FSRS in LFA 32, LFA 33 and LFA 34 by
following an established sampling and evaluation
protocol with verification of selected subsamples.
Overall findings to date indicate that there are
differences in maturity of female lobsters along
Nova Scotia coastal fishing areas. Recent estimates
of size at onset of maturity (SoM50%) increased
from eastern to southwestern Nova Scotia (Fig. 1),
which is coherent with current knowledge that
temperature is a dominant factor on size at
maturity.
Figure 1. Female lobster size at maturity estimates (carapace
length in mm) at which 50% of lobster reach maturity in June
2011 for each fishing area from eastern to south-west Nova
Scotia locations. (Connecting line is to display increasing size
trend).
Size at onset of maturity (SoM50%) for female
lobsters (non-berried/non-ovigerous) sampled
during the month of June 2011 varied from as low
as 71.4mm for LFA 31A (Canso), to 89.9mm for
LFA 32 (Tangier); 96.7mm for LFA33 (Port
Mouton) and 96.5mm for LFA34 (Lobster Bay).
Other factors may be affecting size at onset of
maturity that may affect reproduction success, such
as mating success and it should be investigated as
well.
Ovigerous (berried) lobsters were more frequently
found in eastern Nova Scotia while sampling
during spring fisheries than in southwestern areas
and this is consistent with our estimates of size at
maturity. A spatial comparison in 2011 revealed
that the proportion of pre-ovigerous mature
lobsters at legal size (≥82.5mm) was greatest in
LFA 31A - up to 91%, than LFA32 (19%), and
LFA33 and LFA34 (<4%). The only area with
significant numbers of mature pre-ovigerous
sublegal lobsters was LFA 31A.
This study has been feasible thanks to
collaboration with the Guysborough County
Inshore Fishermen’s Association (GCIFA) and the
Fishermen and Scientists Research Society (FSRS).
The lobster fishing industry from LFA 31A, LFA
32, LFA 33, and LFA 34 has greatly facilitated the
collection of data. Sincere thanks to all field
personnel from GCIFA, FSRS, and DFO that did
contribute to preparation of field materials and
sample collection. Funding was provided by
Fisheries and Oceans, Nova Scotia Department of
Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Eastern Shore
Fisherman’s Protective Association.
Page 26
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM COMMITTEE REPORT
AND PROJECTS REVIEW
By Shannon Scott-Tibbetts, Research Biologist, Fishermen and Scientists Research Society
Scientific Program Committee and Working Groups
Current Members and Vacancies
Scientific Program Committee
Angelica Silva - Chair
Bill Bond
Stacey Denton
Adam Drozdowski
Garnet Heisler
Marty King
Shannon Scott-Tibbetts
Ken Snow
Hughie Boutilier
Josh Fricker
Patty King
John Tremblay
Melanie Burton
Marthe Haarr
Audre-Jo McConkey
Bill Williams
Thanks to the outgoing members of the Committee, who’s term has expired, for serving for the last two
years. Thanks for your contributions: Randy Boutilier, David Brickman, Adam Cook, Aimee Gromack,
Eugene O’Leary, John Levy, Wilford Smith, Ashton Spinney, and Heath Stone.
Shellfish Working Group
Patty King - Chair
Melanie Burton
Sarah Delorey
Josh Fricker
Rodney Manthorne
Arthur Richardson
Ken Snow
John Tremblay
Hubert Boutilier
Joanne Butland
Cheryl Denton
Gary Hatcher
Hubert Nicholas
Shannon Scott-Tibbetts
Ashton Spinney
Groundfish Working Group
Patty King - Chair
Blair Baker
Larry Bell
Elliott Boudreau
Ross Claytor
Adam Cook
Paul Drew
Josh Fricker
François Grégoire
Don Hart
John Levy
Bill MacEachern
Mark Showell
Wilford Smith
Randy Boutilier
Manon Cassista-Da Ros
Sara Ellis
Jean Lavallée
Doug Pezzack
Angelica Silva
Sarah Stewart-Clark
James Baker
Hubert Boutilier
Robert Courtney
James Gray
Bob Henneberry
Bob Mohn
Heath Stone
Nearshore Temperature Monitoring Project Working Group
Shannon Scott-Tibbetts - Chair
Randy Boutilier
Veronika Brzeski
Jerry Creamer
Sarah Delorey
David Ferguson
Hugh Fraser
François Grégoire
Patty King
Robert MacKinnon
Jim Manning
Veronika Brzeski
Ross Claytor
Adam Fancy
Gordon MacDonald
Harold Pottie
Wilford Smith
Elliott Thomas
Terry Baker
Randy Boutilier
Jerry Creamer
Patrick Gray
Peter Hurley
Shannon Scott-Tibbetts
David Brickman
Adam Drozdowski
Marthe Haarr
Rodney Manthorne
Issue: 2013-1
Ru Morrison
Ken Snow
Christine Tilburg
Page 27
Rémy Rochette
Kevin Squires
Elliott Thomas
Vitalii Sheremet
Heath Stone
John Tremblay
Wilford Smith
Michelle Theriault
If you are interested in joining the Committee or Working Groups, contact Patty King at 902-876-1160 or
e-mail [email protected]. Vacancies will be filled from the waiting list as positions become available.
FSRS Shellfish Working Group Report
Lobster Recruitment/ LFA 33 Commercial Trap
Sampling Project
A summary of the project was presented the
previous day at the Collaborative Lobster Science
Workshop by Shannon Scott-Tibbetts and an article
summarizing the presentation is available on page
18 of this issue of the newsletter. The following
summarizes some of the key points:
The Lobster Recruitment project began in spring
1999 and is scheduled to continue for the future.
Over 902,050 lobsters have been measured since
the beginning of this project.
For the 2011/2012 season, there were 148
fishermen participating from LFAs 27-35. For Fall
2011, there were 72 fishermen from LFAs 33-35
and they measured 25,595 lobsters with 4,551 trap
hauls. There were 21,864 trap hauls and 83,430
lobsters measured for spring 2012. All fishermen
who participate are given a report on their
individual catches and the bottom temperatures
recorded with the minilog data logger. For the
2011 LFA 27-33 lobster stock assessment, and the
2012 LFA 34-38 stock assessment, DFO used the
recruitment data in addition to their own data.
Temperature reports and catch summary reports are
sent out to project participants once their data has
been entered in the database. This data has been
used in the DFO assessment process examining
catches of sublegals.
As part of the Lobster Recruitment trap study,
participants in LFA 33 have agreed to record
lobster data from 3 of their commercial traps and
enter them into the logbook. There were 42
participants and they measured for 9370 lobsters
for Fall 2011 and 7137 lobsters for Spring 2012.
Lobster Collector Project Update
A summary of the project was presented the
previous day at the Collaborative Lobster Science
Workshop by John Tremblay and an article
summarizing the presentation is available on page
22 of this issue of the newsletter. The following
summarizes some of the key points:
The Lobster Collector Project is a collaboration
between DFO and the FSRS, with funding
assistance from NS Fisheries and Aquaculture. In
2012 collectors were deployed in St. Mary’s Bay,
Lobster Bay, Port La Tour, and False Bay. In
addition, the Guysborough County Inshore
Fishermen’s Association (GCIFA) deployed 98
collectors in the Canso/Whitehead area. A total of
430 collectors were deployed (June/July) and 426
were retrieved (October/November). A count is
done of the settlers and of the larger lobsters ( > 13
mm) that walked into the collectors.
St Mary’s Bay settlement was highest among all of
the locations with 13 settlers and 65 larger lobsters.
In Port LaTour, there were 6 settlers found this year
and 24 larger lobsters. For False Bay, there were 2
settlers and 33 larger lobsters which made this site
one of the lowest for number of settlers. Lobster
Bay found 10 settlers and 101 larger lobsters were
counted.
Lobster Moult & Quality Monitoring Project
Update
In 2012, the FSRS became fully responsible for this
valuable project, contracting the vessels to do the
out-of-season sampling and project administration.
Plant sampling was done during the lobster season.
Bi-weekly at-sea samples were done from June to
November from Port La Tour, Argyle-Jacquards
Page 28
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
Ridge and Yarmouth-Horseshoe.
Pre-season
sampling was done from Sambro, Moose Harbour,
Cape Sable and St. Mary’s Bay. Project results are
posted to the website at www.lobstermoult.ca.
The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and
Aquaculture provided funding for the project.
2012 Samples Completed
LFA
At Sea
samples
Plant
Total
samples samples
33
14
6
20
34
46
6
52
35
0
1
1
Total
60
13
73
LFA
At sea
At Plant
33
1625
750
Total
Lobsters
2375
34
5681
750
6431
35
0
125
125
Total
7306
1625
8931
Size at Maturity Study
A summary of the project was presented the
previous day at the Collaborative Lobster Science
Workshop by Angelica Silva and an article
summarizing the presentation is available on page
23 of this issue of the newsletter. The following
summarizes some of the key points:
Project sampling), Tangier and West Jeddore. The
sampling period was May 23 - July 22 for the
Lobster Bay/Port Mouton sites. The sampling
period was May 2 - June 29 for Tangier and West
Jeddore sites. A sample consists of 200-250 female
lobsters; the pleopod is collected and the cement
gland staged.
For the 2012 sampling season, there were five
samples done in Tangier, four samples in West
Jeddore, nine completed in Lobster Bay and four
completed in Port Mouton. In Tangier there were
1,323 lobsters sampled; out of these lobsters there
were 8.7% sublegals showing Stage 2 or above
(mature). In West Jeddore, there were 1,091
lobsters measured; out of these there were 3.5 %
sublegals showing maturity.
For Lobster Bay there were 2016 lobsters sampled
from the inner and outer bay locations; with 0.89%
sublegals being mature for inside sites. For the
outside sites; 1.1% sublegals were mature. In Port
Mouton there were 689 lobsters sampled. The
percentage of sublegals found to be mature was
1.6%.
The current data will continue to be analyzed to
determine size at onset of maturity; it seems lower
than previously thought for LFAs 31B and 32.
More sampling is required to get a complete
picture.
Size at maturity is a fundamental aspect of lobster
biology and is required for most models that
evaluate stock status.
There is a lack of
information on size at maturity in many of the
LFAs (Lobster Fishing Areas). In 2010 the FSRS
in collaboration with DFO implemented a Size at
Maturity Study. The NS Department of Fisheries
and Aquaculture provided funding for the project in
2012.
CFRN Lobster Node Phase 1 2012 Update
The FSRS is participating in the Canadian Fisheries
Research Network’s (CFRN or Network) Lobster
Node Project. The goal of the Network’s research
is to answer questions about lobster stock structure
and the links between management areas and other
related topics to help us better understand our
lobster fishery. The goal of this phase is to collect
data on lobster size, egg stage and clutch quality of
lobsters.
DFO completed sampling in Canso. The FSRS
completed sampling in Port Mouton, Lobster Bay
(in conjunction with the Lobster Moult and Quality
Study participants are required to collect data one
day a week on berried female lobsters caught in
their lobster traps during their regular lobster
Issue: 2013-1
Page 29
season. The data collected will be fed into an
oceanographic model. The model will show where
larvae were released and where the larvae go.
17,715 berried females were sampled on 292 trips
on 47 vessels throughout the Atlantic region. There
are still areas of the region that require
participation, namely LFAs 33, 34, upper Bay of
Fundy and the PEI/Northumberland Strait region as
well as the Quebec regions of the Gulf of St
Lawrence. Sampling in LFAs 33 and 34 could
require some out-of-season work due to the lack of
a summer fishery. We have increased participation
in these areas but could still use more fishermen in
the SW Nova Scotia area. Marthe Haarr gave a
summary of this project and produced a poster for
the FSRS conference.
LFA 31B/ 32 Research Strategy
The FSRS was contracted by the ESFPA (Eastern
Shore Fisherman’s Protective Association) to
implement four main components of their research
strategy. These included: continuation of the Vnotch program which has been on-going since
2000, implementation of an at-sea and shore-based
sampling program to build on existing sampling
from ESFPA and DFO, implementation of a size at
maturity study and the implementation of a
nearshore temperature monitoring program.
V-notching: In 2012, there were 46 appointments
completed by the FSRS technicians in LFAs 32 and
31B. All female lobsters were v-notched by the
technicians on board fishing vessels and released as
soon as they were notched to decrease stress and
handling. In LFA 32, 15,554lbs were released
(5,819 lobsters) and 4,543lbs (1,800 lobsters)
released in LFA 31B. The average size of females
released was 2.67lbs in LFA 32 and 2.52lbs in LFA
31B.
LFA
Sea samples Males Females Berried
completed
Females
32
32
8233
8913
1530
31B
14
3740
4124
1525
Size of Maturity Study Summary 2012:
Tangier:
 Total Lobsters Measured: 1323
 Berried Lobsters -311
West Jeddore:
 Total Lobsters Measured: 1091
 Berried Lobsters-110
Nearshore Temperature Monitoring Project
Summary:
LFA 31B: 3 participants
LFA 32: 4 participants
Example of temperatures found along Eastern
Shore of Nova Scotia for 2011-2012
Lobster Node Phase 1 Update: LFA 31B: 1048
berried lobsters sampled, 1964 trap hauls, average
size range: 87.5-92.5 mm, egg stages found
between 2-3 ( eyed and hatching).
LFA Shore samples
Males
Females
LFA 32: 874 berried lobsters sampled, 5041 trap
hauls, average size range: 92.5-107.5 mm, egg
stages found 2 (eyed eggs).
32
8
1923
1809
Results compiled by Marthe Haarr, UNBSJ
31B
3
727
869
If there are any questions on the Shellfish Working
Group Report, please contact Shannon at
[email protected].
Sea and Shore Based sampling Summary:
Page 30
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
FSRS Groundfish Working Group Report
4VsW Sentinel Monitoring Project
The 4VsW Sentinel Monitoring Project Random
Survey was developed in a way that ensures a
bridging index between the past stratified random
survey and the future if the resource recovers. The
objectives and benefits listed for the original
project continue to be used as much as possible.
Currently there is a review of all DFO and related
surveys and they will be looking at the
Species
effectiveness of the surveys for the future. The
4VsW Sentinel survey may be combined with
another industry survey to make it more efficient.
Nothing will change for the 2013 collection as the
contract has been finalized for this project.
The focus was on two strata for 2012: 468 and 469.
Two vessels were used to complete 17 stations in
2012. There were 14 different species caught.
Kept Weight
Kept Weight
Discard Weight
Discard Weight
Number
(kg)
(lbs)
(kg)
(lbs)
Caught
Cod
984.8
2171
6.8
15
834
Cusk
98.9
218
0.0
0
41
Halibut
0.0
0
200.9
443
25
White Hake
3.6
8
0.0
0
3
Thorny Skate
0.0
0
3.6
8
4
Pollock
2.7
6
0.0
0
3
Atlantic Wolffish
0.0
0
0.9
2
1
Silver Hake
0.0
0
9.1
20
24
Blue Shark
0.0
0
22.7
50
1
Monkfish
3.2
7
0.0
0
1
Longhorn Sculpin
0.0
0
20.9
46
57
Shorthorn Sculpin
0.0
0
4.5
10
7
Redfish
42.2
93
0.0
0
111
Snow Crab
0.0
0
1.4
3
2
1135.4
2503
270.8
597
1114
Species
# of stomachs
Species
Cod
# of otoliths
293
293
Cod
28
28
Issue: 2013-1
Multi-Panel Gillnet Pollock Survey
The purpose of the Multi-Panel Gillnet Pollock
Survey was to demonstrate that multi-panel gillnets
will catch small fish, that we will see a larger size
range of Pollock so it can be used in the
assessment. This project was tried in 2008 with
some success and John Levy is still interested in
doing the survey but has been unable do this survey
for the past five years. Heath Stone, the scientific
advisor for the project, indicated there is
qualitative, not quantitative, value to continuing the
project if John is willing to take on the work and
that it would be good to have sets in different
locations. It was agreed at the last Scientific
Program Committee meeting that we drop this
project from the work plan if no samples were
collected in 2012.
Mackerel/ Herring Tagging
The FSRS was contracted by François Gregoire to
tag mackerel or herring in Newfoundland for 2012.
Tricia Pearo, Senior Fisheries Technician, was
asked to return to Newfoundland in November,
2012 to do the tagging. She tagged 3026 herring
and 10 small mackerel in Bonne Bay.
Page 31
Moored Temperature Gauges in the Nearshore
The FSRS is still looking to expand its system of
moored temperature gauges in 2013. Different
funding sources and collaborations are being
investigated to keep this valuable project running.
(Jim Manning and eMolt proposal for funding from
US source, Christine Tilburg from ESIP). Some
monies have been received from excess LaRocque
funds to purchase minilogs and possibly another
reader for the VEMCO program. Funding has also
been received from François Gregoire that will
allow for expansion through the use of mackerel
traps as moorings.
2012 Participant Summary
LFA
Number of
Participants
27
1
31A
1
31B
3
32
4
33
2
FSRS Ecosystem Working Group Report
Adam Cook and Alida Bundy (DFO) have been
analysing the data from the Fisheries Independent
Inshore Survey; this will be published as a
technical report.
Alida Bundy and Anthony Davis have published a
paper "Knowing in context: An exploration of the
interface of marine harvesters’ local ecological
knowledge with ecosystem approaches to
management", which uses LEK data from the DFO
-FSRS Inshore Ecosystem Project and the Social
Research for Sustainable Fisheries project in
collaboration with the Guysborough County
Inshore Fishermen’s Association to evaluate the
extent to which local ecological knowledge (LEK)
can provide advice for an ecosystem approach to
inshore coastal management, specifically, the
identification of ecologically and biologically
significant areas, based on the results of two
comprehensive studies of coastal Nova Scotian
commercial
harvesters’
local
ecological
knowledge.
The FSRS involvement in this project is minimal at
this time
More information on these projects can be found at
www.fsrs.ns.ca or by contacting
[email protected].
Page 32
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
Work Plan 2013
Sentinel Program:
 Request DFO look at data to determine usefulness of data and value of continuing project.
 Plan for September 2013 sampling.
Lobster Recruitment Project:
 Fill in any gaps.
 Expand into LFA 36.Send fisheries techs with participants to do QC.
 Continue attending LFA meetings to present results.
 Develop outreach strategy to inform all fishermen about project (articles in fisheries publications).
 Continue with upgrades to database.
 Hire student to work on upgrading Access database and getting it ready for migration to DFO Oracle
database.
 Provide data to DFO.
Lobster Node Project:
 Add additional participants in LFA 27-36 as required.
 Secure funding for Fisheries Technicians.
 Identify fishermen to collect data on berried females and provide training.
Lobster Moult and Quality Project:
 Secure funding to continue project.
Lobster Collector Project:
 Develop plan for 2013. Secure funding for this year.
 Deploy collectors in June/July and retrieve in October/November.
Size at Maturity Project:
 Develop plan for 2013.
 Secure funding for this year.
Mackerel/ Herring tagging:
 Francois Gregoire would like to continue project if he can get funding.
Nearshore Temperature Monitoring Project:
 Purchase minilog temperature gauges and reader.
 Identify locations for additional moorings and recruit fishermen to deploy moorings.
 Continue to seek additional funding to expand project.
 Continue exploring opportunities for cross-border collaboration with eMolt and NERACOOS.
Inshore Ecosystem Project:
 Patty King, Alida Bundy and DFO staff to continue work on tech reports.
ESFPA Contract:
 Confirm sampling plan with ESFPA. Hire fisheries technicians.
Upper Bay of Fundy Lobster Monitoring contract:
 Finalize contract for 2013/14. Continue work as per contract work orders. Complete report for AMEC.
 Continue at sea sampling during season and out of season.
 Hire biologist to fill in for Monica Finley while she is on maternity leave.
Issue: 2013-1
Page 33
FSRS 20th ANNUAL CONFERENCE
POSTERS AND DISPLAYS
Thank you to all contributors of posters and displays.
Displays
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Atlantic Electronics Limited
Canadian Fisheries Research Network
Cansel Wade
Clean Nova Scotia
Dalhousie University Science Co-op
DSS Marine
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ecology Division
Friends of Port Mouton Bay
Lobster Balls
Lobster Institute
Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS)
Nova Scotia Museum
Ocean Tracking Network
VEMCO - A Division of AMIRIX Systems Inc.
Posters
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Artificial Reefs as Suitable Habitat in Sambro Harbour? - Bethley Morrison, Angelica Silva,
Claudio Dibacco, Alida Bundy and Glyn Sharp
Atlantic Moult and Quality Project - Fishermen and Scientists Research Society
Body Condition of Juvenile American Lobsters Living on Mud and Cobble Bottom - Feng
Tang, Rémy Rochette and Christopher Martyniuk
Can the Perkins Eye Index be Used to Predict Hatch Time of American Lobster (Homarus
americanus) in the Field? - Erin Miller, Marthe Larsen Haar and Rémy Rochette
CFRN Lobster Node Project Phase 1: 2012 Maritimes Region Update - Shaun Allain, Tricia
Pearo, Shannon Scott-Tibbetts and Patty King
A Collaborative Approach to Understanding the Ecological Role of Seals in the Northeast US Andrea Bogomolni, Robert A. DiGiovanni, Jr., Greg Early, Keith Matassa, Owen C. Nichols,
Lisa Sette and Stephanie Wood
Colonization Related to a Multifunctional Artificial Reef Designed for American Lobster
(Homarus americanus).- Christopher Roy, Richard Wahle, Robert Bayer and Ian Bricknell
A Comparison of Lobster Catch from Recruitment and Commercial Traps in the Upper Bay of
Fundy - Monica Finley and Julien Gaudette
Fishermen and Scientists Research Society: Communications Committee in Action! Fishermen and Scientists Research Society
Fishermen and Scientists Research Society: From the Ground Up - Shannon Scott-Tibbetts,
Shaun Allain, Patty King and Tricia Pearo
Genetic Mediators of Stress Response in the American Lobster (Homarus americanus) Under
Live Holding and Shipping Conditions - Fraser Clark, Adam Acorn, John Garland and
Spencer Greenwood
Genetic Mediators of the American Lobster’s (Homarus americanus) Immunological Response
to Bacterial Infection - Fraser Clark, Adam Acorn and Spencer Greenwood
Page 34
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
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Great White Shark in the Minas Basin - The Jaws - Melissa Boucher-Guilbert, John Gilhen and
Andrew Hebda
Hemolymph Plasma Triglyceride and Cholesterol Concentrations as Potential Aids to Determine
Ovary Maturity in the American Lobster - Andrea Battison, Melanie Burton, Michel Comeau,
Angelica Silva and Rachael Summerfield
How Does the Movement of Juvenile and Adult American Lobsters (Homarus americanus)
Contribute to Connectivity Between Areas? - Bryan Morse, and Rémy Rochette
The Influence of Trap Type and Catch Rates - Audrie-Jo McConkey, Kim Novak and Jesse
Ronquillo
Lobster (Homarus americanus), a New Host for Marine Horsehair Worms (Nectonema agile,
Nematomorpha) - Victoria Burdett-Coutts, Andreas Schmidt-Raesa, Gerhard Pole and Julien
Gaudette
Lobster Maturity Estimates from Northeast Nova Scotia to the Bay of Fundy a Recent Update Angelica Silva, John Tremblay, Julien Gaudette and Doug Pezzack
Lobster Nursery Areas in Beaver Harbour NB: Evidence of Oversaturation and Juvenile
Microhabitat Choice - Gudjon Mar Sigurdsson, Lauren Ellis, Gregory Wittig and Rémy Rochette
Lobster Recruitment Trap Project and Commercial Trap Sampling Project - Shannon ScottTibbetts
Low Cost Instrumentation for Measuring Tides and Currents Based on Accelerometer Loggers Vitalii Sheremet
Mapping Inshore Lobster Landings and Fishing Effort on a Maritimes Region Modified Grid
System - Scott Coffen-Smout, Dan Shervill, Cheryl Denton and John Tremblay
Nova Scotia’s Tropical Fish Fauna - Andrew Hebda, John Gilhen and Kathy Ogden
Optimal Prey Density for Stage 1-4 Lobster Larvae - Bingxin Hou, Audrie-Jo McConkey and
Jim Duston
Population Connectivity in the American Lobster: Are Movements of Juveniles and Adults
Important? - Bryan Morse and Rémy Rochette
Port Mouton Bay Lobster Trap Survey 2007-2012, Contamination in the Sea Surface Microlayer
- Ronald Loucks, Ruth Smith, Clyde Fisher and Brian Fisher
Potential Large-scale Spatial Connectivity of American Lobster in Atlantic Canada via Larval
Drift - Brady Quinn, Rémy Rochette and Joël Chassé
Predation by Green Crab and Sand Shrimp on Settling and Recently Settled American Lobster
Postlarvae - Gudjon Mar Sigurdsson and Rémy Rochette
A Review of the 4VsW Sentinel Program - Shannon Scott-Tibbetts, Tricia Pearo, Peter Hurley
and William MacEachern
Spatial and Temporal Variation in Larval Production of American Lobster (Homarus
americanus) in Atlantic Canada - Marthe Larsen Haarr, Rémy Rochette, Michel Comeau,
Bernard Sainte-Marie and John Tremblay
Staying Afloat: Vibrant Inshore Fishing Communities in the Face of Economic and Ecological
Change - Allain Barnett
Summary of Ocean Tracking Network - Bob Branton and Nikki Beauchamp
An Update on the DFO-FSRS Lobster Collector Project - Tricia Pearo and John Tremblay
Issue: 2013-1
Page 35
FSRS 20TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE POSTER ABSTRACTS
Artificial Reefs as Suitable Habitat in Sambro
Harbour?
Authors: Bethley Morrison, Dalhousie University;
Angelica Silva, Claudio Dibacco, Alida
Bundy, and Glyn Sharp, Fisheries and
Oceans Canada
Abstract
As human impacts on ocean ecosystems increase,
many means of compensation are being proposed
and explored, including artificial reefs. Previous
studies indicated that artificial reefs can attract
many organisms, but quantifying changes over
time was difficult to assess. This study aims to
monitor the fish and algae species that colonize
artificial reefs over time. Artificial reef cages
(91.5cm by 62cm by 15.5cm) filled with cobble
were deployed in Sambro Harbour, Nova Scotia
within three main areas. Each area had a shallow
and a deep site where an artificial reef composed of
60 reef cages was deployed at each of six sites in
September 2009. A total of 10 randomly selected
cages were collected from each of the six sites at 6
months (April 2010), 12 months (September 2010),
and 18 months (April 2011). Most relevant findings
indicate that overall fish abundances increased over
time from 91 individuals collected at 6 months, 116
at 12 months, and 219 at 18 months, for all sites
combined. Greater abundance of fish was found at
shallow sites (3-4m) for all 7 fish species
identified. Macroalgae, particularly Saccharina
longricuris was also found attached to cobble and
cages, with small algae colonizing within the first 6
months and reaching over a meter in height after 18
months. Greater abundance and taller algae (>1m)
were generally found in shallow sites. Preliminary
analysis of biological diversity indicates that
artificial reefs appear to provide a suitable habitat
for macroalgae and for an increasing abundance of
juvenile fish within the first 18 months after
deployment.
Atlantic Moult and Quality Project
Author: Fishermen and Scientists Research Society
Abstract
Lobster quality is directly related to moult-timing.
Changes in temperature, diet, and other ecosystem
factors affect moult-timing. Timing of moult is
important in its effects on lobster quality because a
period of time after moulting is required before
lobsters harden and are in top market quality.
This collaborative investigation, involving lobster
harvesters, buyers, dealers, processors, and
scientists, began in 2004 in Lobster Fishing Area
(LFA) 33 and 34 with at-sea sampling of blood
protein, shell-hardness and moult stage during the
summer. At-sea sampling continued with preseason surveys in late October and early
November. Shore based sampling is done during
the season. In 2008, the program expanded into
LFA 35 in the Bay of Fundy, providing a larger
scale look at the fishery throughout different
regions of Nova Scotia.
Additional information and results are available on
the website at http://www.lobstermoult.ca.
Body Condition of Juvenile American Lobsters
Living on Mud and Cobble Bottom
Authors: Feng Tang, Rémy Rochette, and
Christopher Martyniuk, University of
New Brunswick - Saint John
Abstract
Juvenile American lobsters prefer cobble bottom
for settlement and early development but new
evidence suggests they may also exploit mud
bottom. However, because of differences in
availability of food and shelter, condition and
survivorship of juvenile lobsters may differ on
these different bottoms types. We used cobblefilled cages to sample juvenile lobsters on cobble
and mud bottom in Maces Bay, Bay of Fundy, and
compared their body condition. Juvenile lobsters
living on different substrates had similar body mass
when standardized for carapace length. We are
currently examining the nutritional condition of
these lobsters by measuring the total protein
content, the RNA/DNA ratio, as well as the
triglyceride content of their abdomen. This study
will generate new information concerning the body
condition of juvenile lobsters on mud bottom
relative to their preferred cobble substrate, which
will improve our understanding of the potential
Page 36
contribution of mud bottom to recruitment of the
species in the Bay of Fundy.
Can the Perkins Eye Index be Used to Predict
Hatch Time of American Lobster (Homarus
americanus) in the Field?
Authors: Erin Miller, Marthe Larsen Haar, and
Rémy Rochette, University of New
Brunswick - Saint John
Abstract
In order to manage lobster effectively it is
important to have a working knowledge of larval
dispersal patterns, which can be modeled when the
date of larval hatch is known. Time of hatch will
determine the temperature experienced by the
developing larvae, which in turn will affect the
time the larvae spend drifting before settling on the
bottom. The most efficient method of collecting
data on lobsters over a broad geographic area is to
collaborate with fishermen; however, the lobster
fishing season ends before hatching begins in many
regions, which prevents determining the timing of
hatch directly through observation. To address this
problem we will test the ability of two formulas
developed in the lab to predict hatch time of larvae
in nature based on the eye size of embryos sampled
during the fishing season and water temperature
experienced by the developing embryo between
sampling and hatch.
CFRN Lobster Node Project Phase 1: 2012
Maritimes Region Update
Authors: Shaun Allain, Tricia Pearo, Shannon
Scott-Tibbetts,
and
Patty
King,
Fishermen and Scientists Research
Society
Abstract
The Fishermen and Scientists Research Society
(FSRS) has played a key role in coordinating data
collection and preparing training tools for The
Canadian
Fisheries
Research
Network’s
participating fish harvesters. Data collection on
berried females - their size, location, and stage and
quality of their clutch development - began in
2011. The FSRS, in collaboration with the Eastern
Shore
Fisherman’s
Protective
Association
(ESFPA),
Guysborough
County
Inshore
Fishermen’s Association (GCIFA), LFA 27
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
Management Board, Fundy North Fishermen’s
Association, and Université Sainte-Anne Marine
Research Centre in Petit de Grat, worked with
fishermen in LFAs 27, 28, 29, 30, 31A, 31B, 32,
31B, 33, 34, 35 and 36 to collect the required data.
A Collaborative Approach to Understanding the
Ecological Role of Seals in the Northeast US
Authors: Andrea Bogomolni, Robert A.
DiGiovanni, Jr., Greg Early, Keith
Matassa, Owen C. Nichols, Lisa Sette,
and Stephanie Wood, Northwest Atlantic
Seal Research Consortium
Abstract
Increasing seal abundance in Northeast U.S. waters
has led to concerns about fisheries and other
interactions between human and seal populations.
The urgency of documenting, understanding, and
mitigating these interactions has become more
apparent, as has the need to improve our
knowledge of the ecological role of seals. The
Northwest Atlantic Seal Research Consortium
(NASRC) was created following a series of
workshops that gathered scientists, resource
managers and the fishing community to address
issues, concerns, and data gaps related to
increasing seal populations along the New England
coast. These issues include interactions between
seals and fisheries (ecological and operational) and
those associated with coastal overlap of seals and
humans and the implications for human and seal
health. NASRC will improve the understanding of
the ecological role of seals through coordinated
research, data sharing, stakeholder collaboration,
and public outreach. The Consortium will include
continued participation of the scientific and fishing
communities.
Colonization Related to a Multifunctional
Artificial Reef Designed for American Lobster
(Homarus americanus)
Authors: Christopher Roy, University of Maine;
Richard Wahle, Robert Bayer, and Ian
Bricknell, Lobster Institute
Abstract
The Habitat Mooring Systems were designed to
provide a competitively priced, well-engineered
mooring that also serves as habitat for lobsters and
Issue: 2013-1
other marine life. Two HMS were deployed in two
different Maine harbors and studied, through a
number of dives, to determine: counts and
identification of organisms inhabiting the
moorings, percent coverage by vegetation, and
carapace measures of lobsters and crabs inhabiting
the mooring. The study verified the capabilities of
the HMS as a viable habitat for marine fauna and
flora, including lobster of various sizes and well
over 40 different species of marine life.
A Comparison of Lobster Catch from
Recruitment and Commercial Traps in the
Upper Bay of Fundy
Authors: Monica Finley, Fishermen and Scientists
Research Society; Julien Gaudette,
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Abstract
The American lobster (Homarus americanus)
recruitment index from standardized traps project
began in 1999 along the Atlantic coast of Nova
Scotia (more recently in some areas of the Bay of
Fundy) with the objective of providing an index of
the number of lobster that will moult into the legal
sizes in future seasons. In more recent years the
funding for at-sea sampling of commercial catches
has decreased and the lobster recruitment index
data has been suggested for purposes that the
program was not originally intended. The data
collection from lobster fishing area (LFA) 35 in the
upper Bay of Fundy is unique because at-sea
sampling of commercial catch and sampling from
standardized recruitment traps have occurred
concurrently at moderate/high levels since fall
2008. The size structure of lobsters caught in the
recruitment traps were notably different from the
commercial traps. As expected, the recruitment
traps retained more sublegal lobsters and the
commercial traps retained more legal sized
lobsters. Interestingly, the relative frequency of
legal sized lobsters was similar between trap types.
The trend in CPUE of legal and sublegal lobsters in
commercial and FSRS recruitment traps was
similar within seasons (spring and winter) and
across years (2009-2011). LFA 35 data suggests
that FSRS recruitment trap data may be used to
indicate the abundance of lobster from commercial
traps in the absence of at-sea sampling.
Page 37
Fishermen and Scientists Research Society:
Communications Committee in Action!
Author: Fishermen and Scientists Research
Society
Abstract
In July, 2012, the FSRS had its first meeting of the
re-launched communications committee. The
committee was created to help guide our outreach
initiatives ranging from a newly redesigned
website, display booth, and an increased presence
at schools and educational events. This group of
fishermen, scientists, and educators meet several
times a year to re-evaluate our current strategies
and implement changes and new ideas as they
come up. In a relatively short period of time much
work has already been completed and in the future
we hope to expand on these accomplishments.
Fishermen and Scientists Research Society:
From the Ground Up
Authors: Shannon Scott-Tibbetts, Shaun Allain,
Patty King, and
Tricia Pearo,
Fishermen and Scientists Research
Society
Abstract
Established in January 1994, the Fishermen and
Scientists Research Society (FSRS) is a non-profit,
charitable organization which is an active
partnership between fishermen and scientists. The
FSRS was developed with the overall objectives to
promote effective communication between
fishermen, scientists and the general public, and to
establish and maintain a network of fishermen and
scientists capable of conducting collaborative
research and collecting information relevant and
necessary to the long-term sustainability of marine
fisheries. The FSRS is involved in a number of
lobster related research projects through
collaborations with Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(DFO), various universities and lobster fishermen
across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. One of
the main projects with which we are involved is a
lobster size at maturity study. This is a study to
determine female lobster size at maturity in various
areas of Nova Scotia including Lobster Bay,
Tangier and Port Mouton. The FSRS is also
involved in a phase of the Canadian Fisheries
Research Network initiative dealing with berried
Page 38
lobster distribution in Atlantic Canada (Lobster
Node). Another important project is the DFOFSRS Lobster Collector Project. In 2006, a
collaborative project between DFO and the FSRS
was implemented to better understand the
settlement of young-of-the-year American lobsters
in deep and shallow areas at selected regions along
the coast of Nova Scotia.
Genetic Mediators of Stress Response in the
American Lobster (Homarus americanus) Under
Live Holding and Shipping Conditions
Authors: K. Fraser Clark, Adam R. Acorn, John
Garland, and Spencer J. Greenwood,
University of Prince Edward Island AVC Lobster Science Centre
Abstract
The American lobster (Homarus americanus)
fishery in Atlantic Canada and Quebec is the most
economically important commercial fishery in
Canada. This fishery lands over 50 metric tonnes
of live lobsters every year at a value of
approximately $600 million. Lobsters are graded
as either a premium product likely to survive live
storage, or sold to processors for immediate
processing. A live lobster demands a premium
price as it is in good health and of top quality, but a
lobster will face many stressors during its journey
from ocean to plate. While in live storage, it is
routine for companies to suffer losses of 5-15% due
to mortality. In some cases, the mortality can be as
high as 40% for lobsters stored during the late
summer/early fall fishery. With a fishery worth
~$600 million, and mortalities of 5-15%
representing losses of $30-$90 million, there is
significant room for improvement. This project
uses a novel lobster microarray to monitor gene
expression as a means of determine the genetic
mediators of a lobster’s stress response. Gene
expression analysis has revealed that offshore
lobsters can differentiated from inshore lobsters
based on the expression of a number of genes.
Lobsters in storage can be differentiated based on
whether they have been in storage for 1, 4 or 8
weeks. The gene expression of lobsters in storage
at 4 and 8 weeks is more similar than either week is
to the gene expression of lobsters after 1 week in
storage. Live-shipment of lobsters after 8 weeks in
storage puts additional physiological stress on
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
lobsters and we are able find 31 genes which are
differentially expressed. The collection of genes
that we have identified in this study make it
possible for us to measure the molecular basis of
the physiological changes that are occurring in
lobsters during live-storage and shipment. The
goal of this research project is to begin to examine
the types of physiological stress that a lobster faces
while in storage, with the goal of improving the
efficiency of storage and increasing the value to all
levels of the fishery including: fishers, buyers,
shippers and ultimately the consumer.
Genetic Mediators of the American Lobster’s
(Homarus
americanus)
Immunological
Response to Bacterial Infection
Authors: K. Fraser Clark, Adam R. Acorn, and
Spencer J. Greenwood, University of
Prince Edward Island - AVC Lobster
Science Centre
Abstract
This is the first high-throughput transcriptomic
study investigating the immune response of the
commercially valuable American lobster (Homarus
americanus). An in vivo infection challenge was
conducted using the naturally occurring lethal
lobster pathogen Aerococcus viridans var. homari.
This Gram-positive bacterium is able to multiply
and spread systemically in lobsters when
temperatures are above 10 oC. We used a novel H.
americanus microarray to monitor the expression
of over 14,000 genes in hepatopancreatic tissue.
The expression of hundreds of new lobster immune
genes was monitored for the first time to determine
their role in response to this Gram-positive
bacteria. Microarray analysis determined that 148
genes were differentially expressed in the lobster
immune response. Verification of microarray
results was undertaken by using RT-qPCR to
monitor the expression of: anti-lipopolysaccharide
(ALFHa-1, ALFHa-2, ALFHa-4), a thioredoxin,
acute phase serum amyloid protein A, hexokinase
and two trypsin genes. There is good agreement
between RT-qPCR and microarray findings where
RT-qPCR highlights the role of multiple ALFHa
isoforms and SAA. The differential expression of
ALFHa isoforms indicates that the immune system
of H. americanus may have some pathogen
specificity in that its response could be tailored to
Issue: 2013-1
the class of pathogen causing disease. Additionally,
the discovery of the significant increase in SAA
could indicate a new biomarker for lobster or
crustacean health and disease. SAA is a commonly
used marker of innate immune activation in human
and veterinary medicine that could potentially be
applied to crustacean health studies as well.
Great White Shark in the Minas Basin - The
Jaws
Authors: Melissa Boucher-Guilbert, John Gilhen,
and Andrew Hebda, Nova Scotia
Museum
Abstract
A young Great White Shark was trapped in a Weir
in the Minas Basin in August of 2011. The head
was sent to the Nova Scotia Museum for
preservation and display.
This display outlines the procedure by which this
rare specimen was processed at the Museum to
produce an interpretive display.
Hemolymph
Plasma
Triglyceride
and
Cholesterol Concentrations as Potential Aids to
Determine Ovary Maturity in the American
Lobster
Authors: Andrea Battison*, and Melanie Burton**,
Atlantic Veterinary College Lobster
Science Centre; Michel Comeau, and
Angelica Silva, Fisheries and Oceans
Canada;
Rachael
Summerfield**,
Atlantic Veterinary College Lobster
Science Centre
*
current affiliation: CrustiPath
**
current affiliation:
Charlottetown
Laboratory, Canadian Food Inspection
Agency
Abstract
Size at Maturity (SAM) is used in the
determination of the minimum legal size limits for
each Lobster Fishing Area (LFA). SAM estimates
currently require lethal sampling in order to directly
visualise the ovaries for maturity staging.
Development of non-lethal methods to determine
SAM would be beneficial to fishery managers as
more lobsters could be sampled more frequently.
Hemolymph plasma biochemistry profiles were
Page 39
examined as a non-lethal alternate for SAM. One
hundred and forty (140) female lobsters from LFA
24, June 2008 (n=70) and LFA 31, June 2009
(n=70) were collected for measurement of
hemolymph plasma triglyceride (TG) and
cholesterol (CH) concentrations, ovary staging,
cement gland and pleopod staging, and carapace
length. Plasma TG and CH were measured on a
Cobas c501 biochemistry analyser, Diagnostic
Services, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of
Prince Edward Island, Canada. A subset of ovaries
representing different stages of maturation were
used for tissue homogenisation studies including
TG and CH content. Data analysis showed that
ovary TG and CH levels increase as the ovaries
mature. Plasma TG and CH levels also increased
as ovaries matured; however, the pattern in each
LFA was slightly different. Hemolymph plasma
TG and CH levels may assist with non-lethal
assessment of ovary maturation in American
lobsters.
How Does the Movement of Juvenile and Adult
American Lobsters (Homarus americanus)
Contribute to Connectivity Between Areas?
Authors: Bryan Morse, and Rémy Rochette,
University of New Brunswick – Saint
John Campus
Abstract
The role of pelagic larval stages, and the physical
forces which transport them, has been central in
providing insight into population structuring and
connectivity of the American Lobster. However
this means that the role of adult-mediated
connectivity has received less attention, and is far
less understood. This thesis aims to answer the
question ‘How does the movement of juvenile and
adult American lobsters contribute to connectivity
between areas?’ Three projects will be described:
(1) Small scale juvenile tracking using ultrasonic
telemetry, (2) Larger scale juvenile and adult
tracking using ultrasonic telemetry, and (3) An
analysis of a database of multi-year mark recapture
tracking, focusing on the homing ability of lobsters
over multiple years. Together these projects will
add to our knowledge of juvenile and adult
movement and how it relates to connectivity.
Page 40
The Influence of Trap Type and Catch Rates
Authors: Audrie-Jo McConkey, Kim Novak, and
Jesse Ronquillo, Dalhousie University,
Agricultural Campus
Abstract
Commercial lobster fishing is important to Atlantic
Canada. In 2010, $390 million of lobsters were
landed, but depressed prices are forcing fishermen
to cut costs. The primary objective was to
determine if there was a catch difference between
wooden lobster traps and metal mesh traps. The
secondary objective was to assess stock health
within Northumberland Strait (Fishing area 26A) in
May-June 2011 by quantifying body-size
distribution, sex ratio, berried female, claw
condition. Two lines of wooden and two lines of
wire traps, each line consisting of six traps, were
set in pairs in the same location in 6/4 - 12.5 m
water depth (4.4-12.2 oC). In total, the wooden
traps caught 105 lobsters and the wire traps caught
118 lobsters. The number of lobsters caught was
independent of trap type (P>0.05). When only
legal or marketable lobsters are considered, there
also is no significant difference (P>0.05) with the
use of wooden traps over the wire traps. The
wooden traps captured fewer undersized lobster
(11% of total catch) compared to the wire (26%).
Male: female ratio was 1:2, independent of trap
type. Sexually mature ‘berried’ females made up
24% of total catch, indicating the stock is in good
health. This information can help fishermen in
determining where to invest their money, and it can
also assist science in monitoring and accessing the
lobster stock in the area.
Lobster (Homarus americanus), a New Host for
Marine Horsehair Worms (Nectonema agile,
Nematomorpha)
Authors: Victoria Burdett-Coutts, Andreas Schmidt
-Raesa, Gerhard Pole, and Julien
Gaudette, Pacificus Biological Services
Ltd.
Abstract
Nectonema species are parasites of decapod
crustaceans and the only known representatives of
the
otherwise
freshwater/terrestrial
taxon
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
Nematomorpha. Nectonema agile is one of five
marine species within the taxon Nematomorpha,
commonly known as horsehair worms. We report
the American lobster, Homarus americanus, as a
new host for N. agile, a first record among
astacidean decapods. A female, ~ 590 mm long,
was found in the body cavity of one female lobster
specimen during a size at maturity study of this
species. We assume lobster to be a very rare host
for Nectonema. We are interested in conducting
further research in the Bay of Fundy to determine
infestation rates of marine decapods by this
parasite.
Lobster Maturity Estimates from Northeast
Nova Scotia to the Bay of Fundy a Recent
Update
Authors: Angelica Silva, John Tremblay, Julien
Gaudette, and Doug Pezzack, Fisheries
and Oceans Canada
Abstract
Estimates of lobster size at onset of maturity
(SoM50) were determined for 4 fishing areas in
Nova Scotia and three fishing areas within the Bay
of Fundy, New Brunswick in 2011. Non-ovigerous
females were sampled to determine sexual maturity
on the basis of cement gland development. Size at
onset of maturity estimates were obtained for all
fishing areas in June 2011. SoM was found to
increase gradually from as low as 70.3mm in Canso
(LFA 31 A), 89.9mm in Tangier (LFA 32),
96.7mm in Port Mouton (LFA 33) and to 100.2mm
in Lobster Bay (LFA 34). In the Bay of Fundy SoM
fluctuated between 90.2mm in Seal Cove (LFA 38),
97.1mm in Alma (LFA 35) and 103.6 mm in St
John (LFA 36). These SoM estimates did not
include large immature female lobsters ≥102.5mm.
A reduced SoM was estimated for some previously
known locations, and for others these are the first
estimates. These results do confirm an earlier found
pattern of increasing size at onset of maturity from
Northeastern Nova Scotia to Bay of Fundy,
although it also indicates that SoM has been
reduced for some areas.
Issue: 2013-1
Lobster Nursery Areas in Beaver Harbour NB:
Evidence of Oversaturation and Juvenile
Microhabitat Choice
Authors: Gudjon Mar Sigurdsson, Lauren Ellis,
Gregory Wittig, and Rémy Rochette,
University of New Brunswick- Saint
John
Abstract
Settling postlarvae of the American lobster are
highly selective of bottom type, and have shown a
strong preference for shallow cobble bottom. This
type of habitat is in short supply, resulting in
competition between individuals for suitable
shelter and a possible demographic bottleneck for
the species. In this field experiment conducted in a
known hotspot for lobster settlement, we found that
higher densities of lobster were found in collectors
out on poor habitat, suggesting that nearby cobble
patches (prime habitat) are oversaturated. This is
the first study to find evidence for oversaturation of
cobble habitats, possibly due to the use of larger
size range of lobsters than has previously been
done.
Lobster Recruitment Trap Project and
Commercial Trap Sampling Project
Author: Shannon Scott-Tibbetts, Fishermen and
Scientists Research Society
Abstract
The Lobster Recruitment Index from Standard
Traps (LRIST) project began in the spring of 1999.
The goal of the project is to provide an index of the
number of lobsters that will moult into the legal
sizes in the coming seasons. The project was
initiated by the Fishermen and Scientists Research
Society
(FSRS) in
cooperation with the
Population Ecology Division, DFO at the Bedford
Institute of Oceanography (BIO). The initial phase
of the project was planned for five years but after
reviewing the project’s usefulness, it is scheduled
to continue for the foreseeable future.
The project involves over 140 volunteer fishermen
fishing 2, 3 or 5 standard traps each in fixed
locations. The traps are fished in locations from the
northern tip of Cape Breton around the southern tip
Page 41
of Nova Scotia and up the Bay of Fundy. The
lobster fishing areas (LFAs) represented are 27, 28,
29, 30, 31a, 31b, 32, 33, 34 and 35.
The standard trap is a trap with one inch mesh,
wire construction, five inch entrance rings, and
without escape mechanisms. The fishermen sex
and measure all the lobsters they catch in the
standard traps. The lobster’s carapace is measured
into one of 15 size groups using a specially
designed gauge.
Participating fishermen also monitor bottom
temperatures with a minilog temperature gauge in
one of the standard traps. These bottom water
temperatures are forwarded to the oceanographers
at BIO and are a great addition to their coastal
temperature monitoring database.
Low Cost Instrumentation for Measuring Tides
and Currents Based on Accelerometer Loggers
Author: Vitalii Sheremet, OkeanoLog
Abstract
The SeaHorse Tilt Current Meter is a low cost
instrument for measuring near-bottom currents.
The operation of the instrument is based on the
drag principle of a buoyant cylindrical pipe tilted
due to the incoming current. The tilt is measured
by a three axis accelerometer and converted to the
magnitude and direction. The instrument has been
employed in several field studies including
deployments on lobster traps. The same
accelerometer logger can be used for measuring
water level changes due to tides by a simple armand-float tide gauge or a float-and-reel tide gauge.
Mapping Inshore Lobster Landings and Fishing
Effort on a Maritimes Region Modified Grid
System
Authors: Scott Coffen-Smout, Dan Shervill, Cheryl
Denton, and John Tremblay, Fisheries
and Oceans Canada
Abstract
This poster describes an analysis of Maritimes
Region lobster logbook data reported at a grid level
and provides gridded map products of annual and
Page 42
composite (2008–2011) landings, number of days
fished, number of traps hauled, and the same series
standardized by grid area, as well as maps of catch
per traps hauled as an index of catch per unit effort
(CPUE).
Nova Scotia’s Tropical Fish Fauna
Authors: Andrew Hebda, John Gilhen, and Kathy
Ogden, Nova Scotia Museum
Abstract
Over 100 years of collecting of unusual fish species
in our waters by fishermen is documented with
mapping of sources of collections. These now
reside in the Nova Scotia Museum in Halifax, and
are available for study. The mapping illustrates
clearly how our knowledge of the occurrence of
these species is driven by fishing activity.
Optimal prey Density for Stage 1-4 Lobster
Larvae
Authors: Bingxin Hou, Audrie-Jo McConkey, and
Jim Duston, Dalhousie University,
Agricultural Campus.
Abstract
Abstract unavailable.
Population Connectivity in the American
Lobster: Are Movements of Juveniles and
Adults Important?
Authors: Bryan Morse, and Rémy Rochette,
University of New Brunswick - Saint
John
Abstract
The role of pelagic larval stages, and the physical
forces which transport them, has been central in
providing insight into population structuring and
connectivity of the American Lobster. However
this means that the role of adult-mediated
connectivity has received less attention, and is far
less understood. This thesis aims to answer the
question ‘How does the movement of juvenile and
adult American lobsters contribute to connectivity
between areas?’ Three projects will be described:
(1) Small scale juvenile tracking using ultrasonic
telemetry, (2) Larger scale juvenile and adult
tracking using ultrasonic telemetry, and (3) An
analysis of a database of multi-year mark recapture
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
tracking, focusing on the homing ability of lobsters
over multiple years. Together these projects will
add to our knowledge of juvenile and adult
movement and how it relates to connectivity.
Port Mouton Bay Lobster Trap Survey 20072012, Contamination in the Sea Surface
Microlayer
Authors: Ronald H. Loucks, Ruth E. Smith, Clyde
V. Fisher, and E. Brian Fisher, Friends
of Port Mouton Bay
Abstract
Port Mouton Bay fishermen’s local ecological
knowledge and experience led them to conclude
that lobsters will avoid an area sensed to be fouled.
This knowledge was investigated with annual
lobster trap surveys by fishermen annually from
2007 to 2012. In the years during the fallowing of
the fish farm (2010-2012), lobster catches generally
improved in all areas of the bay except in the
region of the fish farm regardless of year-to-year
variation in bottom water temperatures and weather
conditions. This pattern is most obvious with
seeded female lobsters.
A parallel study on the sea surface microlayer near
the fish farm identified a new pathway of effect
where contaminants could harm lobster and crab
larvae and buoyant fish eggs.
Potential Large-scale Spatial Connectivity of
American Lobster in Atlantic Canada via
Larval Drift
Authors: Brady K. Quinn, Rémy Rochette, and Joël
Chassé, University of New Brunswick Saint John
Abstract
Drift of lobster larvae with ocean currents could
result in different areas depending on one another
for their supply of larvae, and thus potential
fisheries recruits. We investigated this potential
spatial connectivity of lobsters by larval drift using
a new large-scale physical oceanographic model
covering most of the species’ range coupled to a
model of lobster larval biology. We present some
early predictions from this model, calculated using
coarse biological inputs – such as uniform numbers
Issue: 2013-1
and timing of larval inputs- but also incorporating
some new estimates of geographic differences in
larval development. These results indicate much
large-scale potential connectivity within different
regions of Atlantic Canada, and some connectivity
between regions. This information is important to
fisheries management, as it will contribute to
efforts to define biological units, or stocks, of
American lobster.
Predation by Green Crab and Sand Shrimp on
Settling and Recently Settled American Lobster
Postlarvae
Authors: Gudjon Mar Sigurdsson, and Rémy
Rochette,
University
of
New
Brunswick - Saint John
Abstract
Very little is known about predation on early life
stages of the American lobster, Homarus
americanus Milne Edwards, 1837, including the
identity of predators and the threat they represent.
In this laboratory experiment, we investigated the
predatory threat that green crabs, Carcinus maenas
(Linnaeus, 1758), and sand shrimp, Crangon
septemspinosa Say, 1818, represent to settling and
recently-settled lobster postlarvae. Lobster survival
within 48 hours varied between 80-100% in
control aquaria. In contrast, survival was only 4060% in the presence of sand shrimp and 0-20% in
the presence of green crab. Some sand shrimp were
observed successfully catching and preying upon
lobster as they were exploring the substrate for
settlement, whereas green crab seem to have
captured lobsters after they had adopted a benthic
mode of existence. Since both of these predators
commonly inhabit shallow cobble-bottom habitat
where lobster settlement occurs, they could be
important predators of young lobsters. Given these
findings, we believe that future research should
undertake the challenging task of confirming
predation by green crab and sand shrimp on young
lobsters in nature, and we suggest that molecular
analysis of predator gut contents is the most
promising approach to this question.
A Review of the 4VsW Sentinel Program
Authors: Shannon Scott-Tibbetts, and Tricia
Pearo, Fishermen and Scientists
Research Society; Peter Hurley, and
Page 43
William MacEachern, Fisheries and
Oceans Canada
Abstract
Initiated in 1995, the 4VsW Sentinel Program
utilizes commercial longliners to establish a series
of catch rate and abundance indices which could be
useful in assessments and management of
groundfish resources. The scientific data collected
from the program is integrated into existing DFO
databases to enhance the accuracy of stock
assessments. The 4VsW Sentinel Project continues
to improve the relationship and understanding
between fishermen and scientists, as well as
promoting
fish
stock
conservation
and
management objectives.
Spatial and Temporal Variation in Larval
Production of American Lobster (Homarus
americanus) in Atlantic Canada
Authors: Marthe Larsen Haarr, and Rémy
Rochette,
University
of
New
Brunswick Saint John; Michel
Comeau, Bernard Sainte-Marie, and
John Tremblay, Fisheries and Oceans
Canada
Abstract
The first research component of the NSERC CFRN
Lobster Node aims to estimate spatiotemporal
variation in larval production based on the
abundance and characteristics of egg-bearing
females. Fishermen are collecting data on the
abundance, size, clutch quality and hatch time of
berried females weekly throughout the fishing
season with the goal of one fisherman every 50-75
km of coastline throughout Atlantic Canada.
Sampling started in 2011 and continued with even
better coverage in 2012 with over 120 participants.
There is considerable spatial variation in estimated
egg production with southeastern Cape Breton
being particularly productive. These first two years
of sampling have been hugely successful thanks to
collaboration with industry at an unprecedented
spatial scale. Work is planned to validate these
estimates of egg production and resulting data will
be used as biological input into a biophysical
model of larval drift to improve our understanding
of connectivity among lobsters in different fishing
areas.
Page 44
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
Staying Afloat: Vibrant Inshore Fishing
Communities in the Face of Economic and
Ecological Change
Author: Allain Barnett, Center for the Study of
Institutional Diversity, Arizona State
University
Abstract
The sustainability of fishing communities in
Atlantic Canada depends on an integrated
understanding of the social, economic, and
ecological challenges they face. This type of
understanding requires us to look at the
relationships
between
harvesters,
buyers,
regulators, rules and regulations, natural resources,
and the political and economic forces that influence
them. Based on social science research done in
Barrington, Southwest Nova Scotia in the summer
of 2012, I attempt to answer three questions. First,
what makes fishermen vulnerable to the changing
moulting patterns and wharf prices of lobsters?
Second, how do social relationships between
harvesters, buyers, and government organizations
act to weaken the sustainability of fishing
communities? Third, what are the prospects for
policies, if implemented from the bottom up, that
would improve the social and economic
sustainability of fishing communities?
Summary of Ocean Tracking Network
Authors: Bob Branton and Nikki Beauchamp,
Ocean Tracking Network
Abstract
Summary of Ocean Tracking Network.
An Update on the DFO-FSRS Lobster Collector
Project
Authors: Tricia Pearo, Fishermen and Scientists
Research Society; John Tremblay,
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Abstract
In 2007, a collaborative project between the
Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and
the Fishermen and Scientists Research Society
(FSRS) was formed to better understand the
settlement of Young-of-the-Year (YoY) American
lobsters in deep and shallow areas at selected
regions along the coast of Nova Scotia. This project
complements others in coastal New England, the
Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Settlement collectors (wire mesh-lined cages filled
with rocks) were first deployed in Canadian waters
(Lobster Bay) in 2007. Since then, the DFO-FSRS
project has expanded to more than 6 locations
from Cape Breton to Saint Mary’s Bay. In addition
to the sites sampled by the FSRS-DFO
collaboration, collectors were also deployed in the
Canso-Whitehead area by the Guysborough County
Inshore Fishermen’s Association (GCIFA) in
cooperation with DFO and the FSRS. Results to
date show that the settlement densities in collectors
compare well with those from diver-deployed
suction sampling, a proven method for sampling
YoY. Estimates of settlement densities from the
different coastal Nova Scotia sites have
considerable spatial and year to year variation, with
sites in southwestern Nova Scotia usually having
higher settlement.
The value of the annual
estimates of settlement densities for predicting the
abundance of larger lobsters is being evaluated.
ECOLOGY ACTION CENTRE SEEKS CLIMATE CHANGE DATA FROM
FISHERY WORKERS
By Ecology Action Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia
T
he Ecology Action Centre, an environmental
organization located in Halifax, Nova Scotia,
wants fishermen and fishery workers in Atlantic
Canada to get more involved in discussing the
effects of climate change on their industry; and
what can be done to mitigate those effects. To that
end, it has produced and is distributing a glossy
brochure throughout the industry which
"...demystifies the scientific literature on climate
change and its potential effects on the fishery...".
The brochure cites "stressors" that will affect the
fishing industry: warming ocean waters, reduced
salinity, decreasing oxygen levels, increasing
acidity, less sea ice, and a rising of sea levels
accompanied by more severe storms and weather
events causing storm surges that can take out
Issue: 2013-1
Page 45
wharves, highways and other infrastructure in
coastal communities. As Leonard LeBlanc of the
Gulf Nova Scotia Fishermen's Coalition puts it:
"Harvesters need to start adapting to environmental
changes. This does not require a massive change
but rather continual monitoring and research
programs." "Fishermen know their resources and
their environment intimately," says Veronika
Brzeski of the Ecology Action Centre. "They are in
the best position to observe changes." Ms. Brzeski's
eight page brochure provides harvesters and other
industry workers with background to the growing
crisis caused by climate change, such observable
events as the disappearance of lobster from the
southern part of their range along the New England
coast; the shifting of migratory patterns by herring
and mackerel; and the movement northward by
caplin and cod; and the super - abundance of small
lobster in the Gulf of Maine and the Gulf of St.
Lawrence. All these changes to the ecology of
marine life are further complicated by cutbacks by
the Canadian government to research in the fishery
and a concerted attempt to reduce Employment
Insurance claims by those working in seasonal
industries such as the fishery - on the water and
ashore in processing plants. The brochure can be
downloaded from the Ecology Centre website
(www.ecologyaction.ca); and fishermen can
participate in discussion of climate change topics at
the
Ecology
Action
Centre
blog
(www.climatefishblog.com).
FSRS AND DFO COLLABORATE ON HERRING TAGGING PROJECT
By Tricia Pearo, Senior Fisheries Technician, Fishermen and Scientists Research Society
This project would not have been successful
without the help and cooperation from DFO
Mackerel Biologist, François Grégoire and Chester
McCarthy and crew. Grégoire hopes that tagging
will take place again in 2013.
T
his is the fourth year that Fisheries and Oceans
Canada (DFO) has contracted the Fishermen
and Scientists Research Society (FSRS) to do a
tagging project off the west coast of
Newfoundland. Tagging is done to learn more
about movements of important fish stocks found in
Atlantic Canada and has always been of particular
interest to industry.
In early December, FSRS Senior Fisheries
Technician, Tricia Pearo went to Newfoundland
and joined Chester McCarthy and crew aboard F/V
Gemini No.1. Since there was a lack of abundance
in mackerel again this year, the tagging was
redirected to herring. 3000 herring were tagged in
the Bonne Bay area. These herring were caught
later than the previous year, most likely due to
warm water temperatures in the Fall.
Anyone finding a tag is asked to return it to the
address on the tag along with the following
information:
 Date and location of capture (latitude and
longitude, fishing location, etc.);
 Method of capture;
 Name, phone number and mailing address of
who found the tag so we can send them a
reward.
A $10 reward will be given for each tag returned
with the required information.
For additional information about the tagging
project, please contact François Grégoire (DFO) at
(418) 775-0589, [email protected]
or Patty King (FSRS) at (902) 876-1160,
[email protected]
Page 46
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Thank you to Craig Nickerson for providing a copy of a Lobster Fishing Licence from the 1800s.
It is interesting to see how things have changed over the centuries.
Issue: 2013-1
Page 47
FSRS MOORED TEMPERATURE
GAUGES
If you see a moored temperature gauge in your area
Please
Do Not Touch
The FSRS is currently conducting a near shore moored temperature
monitoring project to investigate the temperatures along coastal Nova
Scotia from Cape Breton to the Bay of Fundy. The moorings are marked
with a buoy including FSRS or SCIENCE on the side. A network of moored
temperature gauges have been deployed to collect year-round
temperature data.
If you have any question or would like more information on the project,
please contact us at [email protected] or 1-800-226-3777.
Page 48
HOOK, LINE AND THINKER
BEACHCOMBING - What’s
New in The News
Issue: 2013-1
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
CANADIAN FISHERIES
RESEARCH NETWORK
Assessing the Spread of the
Grey Seal Population and its
Impacts on Fisheries and
Fishermen
The Canadian Fisheries Research Network is
asking
fishermen to complete a short
questionnaire designed to gather fishermen’s
insight by recording their observations and
experiences with grey seals.
This questionnaire is part of a collaborative
effort between scientists, the fishing
industry, and management partners to assess
the effectiveness of potential management
decisions on your fisheries.
If you would like to participate by
completing a questionnaire, please
contact:
Rachel Neuenhoff, University of British
Columbia, Marine Mammal Research
Unit, AERL, Room 247, 2202 Main Mall,
Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6T 1Z4
email: [email protected]
Ken Snow
Eugene O’Leary
George Zinck
James Gray
John Levy
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Past President
DIRECTORS AT
LARGE
Bill Bond
Randy Boutilier
Josh Fricker
Marthe Haarr
Garnet Heisler
Peter Hurley
Jean Lavallée
Wilford Smith
Hilda Russell - Communications Committee Chair
Angelica Silva - Scientific Program Committee Chair
FISHERMEN AND SCIENTISTS RESEARCH SOCIETY
P.O. Box 25125
Halifax, NS B3M 4H4
Phone: (902) 876-1160 Fax: (902) 876-1320
E-Mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
Web Site: www.fsrs.ns.ca
Editor: PMD Services - Christine MacKenzie and
Patty King; FSRS Communications Committee - Jack
MacAndrew.
© Fishermen and Scientists Research Society, 2013
U P C O M I N G E V E N TS
Atlantic Lobster Sustainability
Foundation
Lobster Science Workshop
July 23 & 24, 2013
Crown Plaza Hotel, Moncton, NB
For more information visit:
www. lobstersustainability.ca
8th International Conference on
Marine Bioinvasion
August 20-22, 2013
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
For more information visit:
http://icmb.info/?q=node/2