Chapter 51 - Lobster epizootic shell disease

Abstract

In 1996, a new lobster disease, epizootic shell disease (ESD), emerged in the American lobster (Homarus americanus) of the southern New England (SNE) area, USA. ESD spread spatially and in time along the US northeast coast and has been reported from Norway. ESD continues at a prevalence of 10%–40%, being variable by location and year. The lobster stock of SNE is considered overfished and suffering also from recruitment failure despite a release of 1.2 million mature females to offset losses from a North Cape oil spill. “Classical” shell disease generally in H. americanus was first described in the 1930s with terms of “impoundment shell disease (ISD) and burn/rust spot shell disease (BSSD).” Endemic/enzootic shell disease (EnSD) was formally recognized recently, although its impact was relatively minor until it gave way to ESD. This chapter will focus on the environmental stressor(s) aspects of research into ESD which is a distinct disease from ISD, BSSD, and EnSD. The current thinking is that ESD is a manifestation of a “metabolic disturbance” leading to increased susceptibility to environmental bacteria.