New England Lobster Settlement Index is a sampling program supported by Maine, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts to evaluate the strength of lobster year classes. Data is collected by divers using suction samplers on newly-settled lobsters in cobble-boulder habitats, with 12 quadrats sampled per site. The program is sponsored by multiple state agencies and research organizations, including Maine DMR and Bigelow Laboratory.
Use Cases
- Model lobster settlement density per quadrat to forecast fishery trends.
- Analyze spatial variation in juvenile lobster size (e.g., ~2.5cm total length) relative to sampling site.
- Correlate settlement index data with environmental factors for stock assessment.
- Compare growth rates and time-to-harvest (4-9 years) between southern and northern sampling regions.
Strengths
- Standardized sampling method using 12 quadrats per site.
- Multi-agency sponsorship and collaboration across state lines.
- Data supports direct application in stock assessment and fishery forecasting.
Limitations
- Unknown total row count and temporal coverage of the dataset.
- Geographic scope is limited to specific nearshore nurseries in New England.
- Sample data and specific column details are unavailable for review.
Provenance
- Source
- SCIOPS, via NASA Earthdata platform.
- Collection Method
- Divers from Bigelow Laboratory collected newly-settled lobsters using a suction sampler in cobble-boulder habitats, with laboratory sorting for young-of-year lobsters.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Nearshore nurseries in the New England region, specifically involving Maine, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.