BDN Interviews Bayer About ‘Odd-Looking’ Maine Lobsters

The Bangor Daily News spoke with Bob Bayer, executive director of the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine, for the article “Scientist: Odd-looking Maine lobsters are not mutants, and still safe to eat.” Bayer spoke about lobsters found in the Gulf of Maine with unusual colors, extra sets of claws or pockmarked shells, and said all are safe to eat. He said lobsters that grow malformed claws aren’t “mutants,” and the malformations occur when the lobster molts and a new, larger shell hardens. Bayer also said genetic color variations such as bright red or orange, blue, mottled shell patterns or two different colors on each side, are rare and have no effect on the lobster’s health.