Press Herald reports on Wahle’s research in article on baby lobster decline
The Portland Press Herald reported on research conducted by Rick Wahle, a research professor at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center, in an article about the recent decline of baby lobsters in the Gulf of Maine. Scientists want to know why the number of young lobsters is declining when their numbers at every other stage remain high, according to the article. Two years ago, Wahle began sampling to see if the babies are settling in waters deeper than 30 feet. That would suggest the number of baby lobsters weren’t really declining, but were “settling down” into newly suitable habitat where scientists hadn’t been sampling, Wahle said. Preliminary results were promising, but two years’ worth of data is not enough for scientists to draw any conclusions, the article states. Once Wahle’s funding ran out, Ready Seafood of Portland decided to kick in $75,000 a year to continue his research, the Press Herald reported. “We don’t think there’s enough proactive measures being done to invest in the research side,” said Brendan Ready of Ready Seafood. “The more research, the more collaboration we can do with harvesters, science, and now industry, I think that’s going to distinguish our industry.” Mainebiz also reported on the research, citing the Press Herald article.