Dispersal of American Lobsters, Homarus americanus, Tagged Off Southern Nova Scotia

Abstract

Of the 5281 American lobsters (Homarus americanus) tagged and released off McNutt Island, South Nova Scotia, during 1983–87, 15.8% were captured within 3 yr of release. Although most immature (99%) and mature (86%) lobsters were caught < 18.5 km from release, mature lobsters moved a greater mean distance (25.8 km) than immature lobsters (3.6 km). Of the lobsters that moved > 30 km eight moved south to the continental slope near Browns Bank and 11 moved west of Cape Sable to the inshore areas of southwestern Nova Scotia, the midshore area of German Bank and offshore to Browns Bank and Georges Bank. This and other studies of tagged lobsters indicate that there is some movement of lobsters east and west of the Cape Sable area, the southern tip of Nova Scotia, suggesting some mixing between lobster stocks off eastern Nova Scotia and southwestern Nova Scotia. The long distance movement and mixing of mature lobsters suggests that attempts to use tagging information in locating biological boundaries between lobster stocks in the Gulf of Maine, adjoining Continental Shelf, Scotian Shelf and inshore areas of southwestern Nova Scotia and southern end of eastern Nova Scotia may be a difficult task.