Fishers fill data gaps for American lobster (Homarus americanus) and Jonah crab (Cancer borealis) in the Northeast USA

Abstract

Despite the economic and cultural importance of the American lobster, Homarus americanus H. Milne-Edwards, 1837, and Jonah crab, Cancer borealis Stimpson, 1859, fisheries in the US, scientists, managers, and fishers agree that the data being used to assess these stocks lack sufficient spatial and temporal coverage, particularly in southern New England. The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation developed the Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleet to begin addressing these data gaps, and ultimately, to inform the assessment and management of these valuable fisheries resources. Fishers participating in the research fleet use a specialized tablet application, digital calipers, and wireless water temperature sensors to record information about their catch and the environment as part of their routine fishing practices. Since June 2013, the fishers participating in the research fleet have collected biological data from more than 109,000 lobsters and more than 49,000 Jonah crabs, as well as coupled bottom water temperatures from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras. The data collected by the research fleet are integrated into federal biosamples databases and used extensively in the lobster stock assessment and Jonah crab management plans. This work has improved the transparency of the assessment process, created a community of collaboration among fishers, scientists, and managers, and contributed to the sustainability of resource management. Ultimately, the Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleet provides a model for collaborative data collection programs in other regions and fisheries where insufficient data coverage limits the efficacy of assessment and management efforts.