Project

Explaining variation in American lobster (Homarus americanus) and snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) abundance in the northwest Atlantic Ocean.

The goal of my Doctoral research is to assess the causes of long-term changes in American lobster (Homarus americanus) and snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) populations in the northwest (NW) Atlantic. Through analyses of available time series including commercial landings, research surveys, catch per unit effort, and local ecological knowledge, I am exploring a reported ecosystem shift in the NW Atlantic. This shift entails a region-wide decline of groundfish resources and an increase in benthic invertebrates, including large, commercially valuable decapods. I am examining multiple hypotheses relating to the causes of this shift, including changes in temperature and predation.