Ocean Acidification and the Challenges facing the American Lobster Fishery in a Changing Ecosystem ichard A. Wahle niversity of Maine | School of Marine Sciences • Maine perilously dependent on one fishery. • Lobsters at historic highs, but will it last? • While UMaine leads research on lobster, OA effects are unknown.
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Richard A. Wahle University of Maine | School of Marine Sciences
Ocean Acidification and the Challenges facing t he American Lobster Fishery in a Changing Ecosystem. Maine perilously dependent on one fishery. Lobsters at historic highs, but will it last? While UMaine leads research on lobster, OA effects are unknown. Richard A. Wahle - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Ocean Acidification and the Challenges facing the American Lobster Fishery in a Changing
Ecosystem
Richard A. WahleUniversity of Maine | School of Marine Sciences
• Maine perilously dependent on one fishery.• Lobsters at historic highs, but will it last?• While UMaine leads research on lobster, OA effects are unknown.
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Co-chairs: Rick Wahle (UMaine) Andrea Battison (CrustiPath) Paul Anderson (ME SG)
Special issueVol. 70 no.11
Nov 2013
Animation Source: M. Fogarty, NMFS/NEFSC
$1.09 billionin 2012
As other fisheries collapse American lobsters surge….
• North Atlantic acidifying faster than elsewhere.• OA effects poorly studied.• Interactions of OA with other stressors even less studied.• Effects are species- and life-stage specific
(estimated 1700s – 1990s)
Embryos Larvae Juveniles Adults
Reis et al. 2009 ↑ Growth, Calcification
Keppel et al. 2012↓ Growth, Development
Arnold et al. 2009↓ Growth, Calcification
Agnalt et al. 2013↔ Growth ↑ Deformities
↔ Growth ↑ Deformities
Styf et al. 2014 ↔ Development
Long et al. 2009
↓Survival & Growth ↔ Calcification, ↓ Condition index
Long et al. 2009
↓Survival & Growth ↑ Calcification, ↔ Condition index
American Lobster (Homarus americanus )
European Lobster (Homarus gammarus )
Norwegian Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus )
King crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus ) Alaska
Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi ) Alaska
Ocean Acidification Research on Lobsters and Crabs
Forecasting puts the future in our hands
• Lead time • Choices • Resilience
Suction sampling
0
1
2
3
8. York, ME
0
1
2
3
9. Beverly, MA
0
1
12. Buzzards Bay, MA
0
1
2
1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 2013
13. Rhode Is.
0
110. Boston Harbor
0
1
2
11. Cape Cod Bay, MA
0
3
6
92. Beaver Hbr, NB
0
1
23. Jonesport, ME
0
1
24. Mt Desert Is, ME
0
1
25. Outer PenBay, ME
0
1
2
36. Mid-coast, ME
0
1
2
3
1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 2013
7. Casco Bay, ME
0
3
1. Lobster Bay, NS
Suction Sampling 2013
ME
NH
MARI
NB
NS
PEI
Gulf of St. Lawrence
Gulf of Maine
1
23
457
6
98
12
10
1113
N m
-2
American Lobster Settlement Index – An Early warning?
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1
2
3
1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
Proj
ecte
d R
ecru
itmen
t In
dex
LobsterForecasts
An Early warning system?
Yes… but no crystal ball.
1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 20200123456789
10
Eastern MEMidcoast MERhode Island
Land
ings
(mill
ion
lbs)
?
Reported Landings
1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 20200
1
2
Proj
ecte
d R
ecru
itmen
t In
dex
Forecasts
Challenges for Maine’s fishery• Adapting to a shifting geography & shell disease. • Minimizing the cost of fishing while maximizing value.
Scientific Challenges• Weighing interactive effects of the diabolical trinity:
warming – hypoxia - acidification.• Assessing life stage- and species-specific responses. • Building infrastructure and collaborations to do long-term controlled studies.• Supporting long-term environmental monitoring.• Communication and outreach.
“We don’t really know the effects of ocean acidification on lobsters, but we do know the effects on shellfish and clams and it’s not positive. As long as the industrial nations of the world use fossil fuel, it’s going to get worse.”
Dave Cousins, President Maine Lobstermen’s Assn. Bangor Daily News 1/13/2014