Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences

Purpose: Epizootic Shell Disease (ESD) Has Contributed Heavily to the Collapse of the Southern New England Lobster Stock and Is a Looming Threat to the Gulf of Maine (GOM) Lobster and the Fishermen That Rely on Them. This Dysbiotic Disease Causes Lesions on the Lobster Carapace, Causing High Risk of Mortality for Severely Infected Individuals, and Low Economic Value for the Fished Survivors, as They Are Only Marketable to the Canning Industry. Sea Temperature Conditions That Facilitate Esd Are Projected to Increase in Duration and Spatial Extent as the Climate Changes and Oceans Warm. to Increase Preparedness for Climate Change Impacts to the Gom Lobster, It Is Necessary to Understand How Seasonal Shifts in Seabottom Temperatures Alter Molting Phenologies, Epizootic Shell Disease Incidence and Progression, and Disease- and Temperature-associated Mortality. Activities to Be Performed: Using a Two-way Factorial "common Garden" Experiment, Authors Will Compare Patterns