U.S., Canada Lobster Research Focus of Recent Symposium

By Chris Brehme, Lobster Institute Project Director

The inaugural North American Lobster Science Symposium was held November 5th and 6th at the University of Maine’s Wells Conference Center in Orono. The conference showcased how rapidly changing oceans are reshaping lobster biology, fisheries, and coastal communities—and how collaborative research is stepping up to meet the moment. A new initiative of the Lobster Institute, the conference was co-hosted by Maine Sea Grant and the Canadian Lobster Research Network (CLRN).

Lobster Institute Executive Director Chris Cash said, “We hope this symposium provides an important venue for researchers to share their results, bounce new ideas off one another, and most importantly, further our understanding of the entire lobster resource, from larvae to broodstock, and from ocean currents to fishing communities.”

The symposium opened on Wednesday with a poster session featuring the work of twenty researchers at more than a dozen institutions. The two-hour event provided a relaxed environment for scientists to share work through conversations and get immediate feedback from other researchers. The session was followed by a keynote presentation by Dr. Amalia Harrington, the University of Maine’s newest lobster biologist. Harrington’s address highlighted how scientific partnerships with industry and coastal communities are essential for sustaining this fishery in an era of warming waters and shifting ecosystems.

Thursday’s sessions began with a panel focused on “Navigating the New Arctic: Lobster Network” led by Dr. Damian Brady from UMaine. Brady and his multi-institution research team discussed how rapid warming in the Arctic is altering ocean currents, nutrient flows, and biological patterns that ultimately influence lobster habitat in the Gulf of Maine. Their work aims to forecast how these large-scale changes may affect the species and the fishing communities that depend on it.

From there, concurrent talks dug deeper into three major themes: biology, ecology, and community. In the biology track, researchers presented new insights into lobster development, diet, and health. Studies ranged from how temperature affects larval survival and movement, to new findings on epizootic shell disease. Others examined stressors related to fishing gear, the supply chain, and aquaculture, with an emphasis on finding ways to reduce mortality from capture to market.

Talks in the ecology sessions covered shifts in where young lobsters settle, how warming waters may alter population connectivity, and how changes in predator and prey species could reshape the Gulf of Maine’s ecosystem. Several presentations used advanced tools such as satellite-linked tags, oceanographic modeling, and mapping software to track movements and predict how lobsters may respond to future environmental conditions. Meanwhile, presentations in the community track emphasized how fishermen adapt to change, how working waterfronts are evolving, and how decision-making is influenced by data, policy, and lived experience.

The symposium showcased a community of scientists committed to understanding the entire lobster resource in order to sustain lobster populations and the communities that depend on them. By Thursday evening, participants left with a clearer picture of the challenges ahead—and a renewed sense of the importance of collaboration.

The co-hosts each provided a valuable component to ensure a successful event. The Lobster Institute initiated the Symposium as a complement to their long-running US-Canada Lobster Town Meeting, by giving scientists a place to discuss research and share approaches that can benefit the resource as a whole. Many of the projects presented were supported by Maine Sea Grant’s American Lobster Initiative, which provides valuable funding for collaborative projects with industry. The Canadian Lobster Research Network, an industry-led organization to advance co-operative research, was instrumental in finding presenters and attendees from north of the border. The co-hosts hope the Symposium will convene again in two years, possibly in Canada. In the meantime, many of the talks and presentations will be made available to the public through the NALSS website at https://umaine.edu/lobsterinstitute/2025-north-american-lobster-science-symposium.