Survival and Cheliped Loss of Juvenile Lobsters Homarus gammarus during Simulated Out-of-Water Transport

Abstract

Abstract Juvenile lobsters Homarus gamrnarus reared for stock enhancement programs are frequently packed in Styrofoam boxes between layers of wet newspaper and shellsand and transported out of water from hatcheries to release sites. A single layer of frozen newspaper acts as a cooling element. The physical disturbance experienced by individuals while being transported was simulated under controlled conditions. Juveniles were sent on “journeys” lasting 0, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 h and were physically disturbed for 15 min of each hour. Mortality was low (2–7%) within the first 12 h of simulated transport but increased significantly (12–22%) after 15 h of exposure. This increase was primarily a result of high mortality (21–45%) in individuals packed in the layer nearest the cooling element. Air temperature recordings revealed a temperature gradient between layers throughout the test period. In all, 68.5% of all observed mortality occurred within 6 h of juveniles being returned to ambient seawater. Overa...