Lobstermen Meet with Ocean Data Experts in Ellsworth, Maine

lobster boat with seagulls swimming in foreground

Lobstermen need timely and accurate data on ocean conditions so that the Gulf of Maine’s lobster fishery remains one of the most productive and profitable seafood industries in the U.S.

 

That was the clear message emerging from a workshop in Ellsworth yesterday that brought more than 30 lobstermen from Maine and New Hampshire together with ocean data system managers from Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation (GoMLF) and Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS).

During the workshop, lobstermen highlighted the importance of data on weather and sea state to make fundamental operational and safety decisions; zooplankton and phytoplankton, food for lobster larvae, to predict future production; shifting influences of the Labrador Current and Gulf Stream that shape temperature, salinity, nutrients, and other conditions; and more.

“The type of information presented at the workshop helps us with day-to-day operations and with managing the resources on which we depend,” said Steve Train, captain of F/V Marcia out of Long Island, Maine. “It was eye-opening to learn how the weather information is being applied along with things like salinity numbers and ongoing plankton studies.”

Sponsored by the Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative, the workshop aimed to hear fishermen’s data priorities for modernizing monitoring, modeling, and data delivery systems to most effectively serve the fishery. Data managers and oceanographers from around the region also joined the discussion. 

“There are many weather and oceanic factors that fishermen now can access at any time. Crucial data such as water temperature, salinity, wind, and past weather patterns are helpful to compare year to year,” stated Jamien Hallowell, captain of FV Ella V. from South Bristol, Maine. “This information is very valuable to predicting the current lobster season outlook based on past data. The Maine lobster industry depends on funding for these programs.”

Coverage by ocean data systems in Downeast Maine – including the environmental Monitoring on Lobster Traps and Large Trawlers (eMOLT) program run by GoMLF and the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) run by NERACOOS – is lighter than other areas in the Northeast. At the same time, lobster catch has become increasingly concentrated in the Downeast region: Hancock County’s ports became the highest-producing in 2009 and have stayed at the top of the list every year since. This mismatch between lobster catch and data systems comes at a time when environmental, regulatory, and economic changes are combining to present new operational challenges for lobstermen.

“For almost 25 years, eMOLT has brought fishermen and scientists together in a collaboration that has dramatically increased our understanding of conditions below the surface of the ocean,” said Erin Pelletier, Executive Director of GoMLF. “While we have had success expanding our data collection, there are still areas in the Gulf of Maine that need more sampling in order to keep up with the changing environmental conditions. 

“Everything NERACOOS does is driven by end-user needs, with commercial lobstermen being our largest single user group, by far,” said Jake Kritzer, Executive Director of NERACOOS. “The chance for our team to sit down with so many industry members, hear their unique perspective on ocean conditions, and understand their priorities for the future will enable us to shape the unique IOOS public-private partnership better.”