Mount Desert Islander interviews Wahle about lobster industry challenges
Rick Wahle, a marine scientist at the University of Maine, spoke with Mount Desert Islander for the article, “Changing ecosystem, disease challenge lobster industry.” In the past decade, the Gulf of Maine has seen an increase in lobsters and a higher demand for the crustaceans in international markets. Recently, however, there have been concerns about what effects a changing climate and disease threats may have on the lobster population off the coast of the state, according to the article. “In New England, we’re sort of straddling the adverse and the positive effects, if you will, of a warming climate,” Wahle said. “The fishery has all but collapsed in southern New England, whereas not too much farther north, just into the Gulf of Maine, we’re seeing record abundance of lobsters.” Reasons for the lobster population increase off the coast of Maine include a reduction of natural predators such as groundfish and rising water temperatures, the article states. “Historically, in this eastern part of the Gulf of Maine, water temperatures have been on the cold side of the comfort zone for lobsters, so any warming actually has a favorable effect in promoting larval settlements and larval development settlement growth,” Wahle said.