Maine Lobstering Industry: Climate Change Poses a Threat
By Emma Hallee
Introduction: Cultural and Economic Importance
When people think of Maine, they think of its cold winters, thick forests, unique coasts, and its lobster. Throughout Maine’s history and landscape, the lobster has been an identifiable feature of the state’s culture. Whether on a pair of socks, a sweatshirt, or an ornament, the lobster is a long-standing symbol of Maine. Why is this? Because in the mid-1800s, Maine became the largest shipbuilding and fishing outpost. Lobsters’ prevalence in Maine’s growing fishing industry led to it becoming a culturally significant image of the state. In relation, in 2021, the industry generated $725 million to the state’s economy (Island Institute). The industry employs nearly 18,000 people throughout the state and accounts for the livelihood of many coastal communities (Island Institute). It is necessary to understand the state’s dependency on lobstering. Lobster fishing is an integral part of Maine economy, culture, and coastal identity, but the industry is becoming increasingly threatened by climate change. Warmer water temperatures are negatively affecting the lobster population and fishing practices in Maine. 2021 produced $725 million in revenue, but in 2022, the lobster industry only generated $388 million (Island Institute). Climate change played a large role in this dramatic decline.
History
Lobsters have existed for nearly 480 million years, predating dinosaurs. Through the geological periods, lobsters have significantly evolved and adapted to the everchanging ecosystems. Their lineage shows that they have been the most successful marine group. The relationship between lobsters and humans began when Native Americans from the Wabanaki Confederacy used them as a form of food, fertilizer, and fishing bait (Brown 2018). In 18th-century America, lobster was given to servants and those belonging to a lower social rank. Lobster was served as a weekly dinner for many working families and was not considered a delicacy like it is today. Fishing was one of the earliest economic activities in Maine; however, the lobster fishing industry started in the early 1900s due to the Rockefeller family. The Rockefellers were a prominent American family that established a great fortune from creating the Standard Oil Company. John D. Rockefeller Jr. developed an elite summer home on Mt. Desert Island and served lobster as an upper-class dinner to his guests (Goad 2021). If the Rockefellers had it, everyone wanted it. Due to this shift in the perception of lobster, the industry flourished and lobster was in high demand. As the market grew, lobstermen rose in both status and income (Goad 2021). Through the decades, conservation actions were taken to maintain lobster abundance. For example, the legal catching size and the considerate design of lobster traps were established to maintain populations.
Conservation Practices
According to The University of Maine Lobster Institute, the lobster’s carapace must be longer than 3 ¼” and smaller than 5”. This allows for smaller lobsters to grow to the appropriate sizes and allows for more breeding options to ensure reproduction. Today, the most common form of lobster fishing in Maine is the use of traps that sit on the seafloor. For both commercial and recreational lobstering, the traps are placed in rocky areas where lobsters live and are set with bait, often herring or mackerel. The traps are marked by buoys at the surface of the water. They are also designed to capture regulation lobsters. In other words, the design allows undersized lobsters to escape through “escape vents.” The traps are even constructed to release lobsters in the case of a lost trap. Sometimes buoys get runover and lines get cut; in this instance, the “escape vents” are attached with steel, biodegradable rings that rust off, revealing a larger escape hole, allowing all the trapped lobster to return to their homes. It is important to understand how modern trapping works and how the industry must follow specific rules to conserve the lobster. There is also an important rule regarding female lobsters, or “eggers.” Lobstermen give them a small V-shaped notch in their tails to indicate that they are egg-bearing lobsters before releasing them back into the water. This is important because it further guarantees the future reproduction of lobster and the retention of lobster populations in the Gulf of Maine.
Climate Impacts
It is evident that the lobstering industry takes many precautions to conserve lobster; however, climate change is a challenge. The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than most bodies of water around the world (Arnold 2023). This is due to arctic warming changing Maine’s ocean circulation. The major current system, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, is weakening and causing a shift between the warm Gulf Stream and the cold Labrador Current. In other words, currents are pushing warm water into the Gulf of Maine, while the cold currents retreat (Arnold 2023).
Lobsters experience healthy growth in temperatures up to 68°F. Past that, they reach a “stress threshold” which impacts their respiratory and immune systems (Greenhalgh 2016). The temperatures in the Gulf of Maine vary based on each month. However, while maintaining a temperature under 55°F in 2025, the summer months got particularly warm. This past August reached 65.4°F (NOAA 2025). Challenges associated with these warmer water temperatures include decreased survival of larval lobsters, increased predation, and increased cause of shell disease (Acheson). Therefore, the warming water is not only affecting lobstering practices, but also the lobster population as a whole.
Since lobsters thrive in colder water temperatures, they are building new habitats deeper and farther off the coast of Maine (Brown 2018). Some lobster populations are even migrating north into colder Canadian waters (Acheson 2020). However, continued conservation efforts can mitigate the impacts of future warming. The state has composed a climate change plan called “Maine Won’t Wait” that focuses entirely on reducing greenhouse gases from transportation, construction, and electricity generation. According to the Maine Climate Council, Governor Janet Mills signed legislation in 2019 “requiring Maine to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and by at least 80 percent by 2050.” Along with renewable energy and cleaner transportation on land, proper seafloor research is also necessary to understand, restore, and protect marine ecosystems. Many marine ecosystems, like saltmarshes, seagrasses, and seaweeds, play a vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide in the ocean (Arnold 2019). Their existence is important for mitigating warming temperatures. The Maine Coastal Mapping Initiative performs extensive seafloor research off the coast of Maine. Their findings help “manage marine ecosystems and increase Maine’s resiliency to environmental changes” (Department of Marine Resources). They collect hydrographic quality bathymetry to analyze underwater terrain and sediment. Their seafloor studies have led to a better understanding of how benthic organisms, like lobster, respond to seafloor disruptions (Department of Marine Resources).
Tourism
There is a Mainer responsibility to respect and uphold the lobstering culture of the state. In the United States, the lobster fishery is the most valuable single-species fishery. “In 2018, more than 147 million pounds of lobster were landed coast wide; Maine accounted for more than 121 million of those” (Nangle 2023). The industry not only provides many locals with their livelihoods but works hand in hand with another large industry in Maine: tourism. For tourists, there is no greater desire than that of a bright red shell served on a green-leaf platter or a toss of lobster meat thrown into a perfectly buttered roll. According to an article from the Portland Press Herald, Acadia National Park received over 800,000 visitors just this past August (2021). In 2023, the tourism industry brought in over $9 billion. Together, the lobster and tourism economies account for nearly 13% of Maine’s overall gross domestic product, or GDP. The relationship between fishing and tourism not only highlights the individual industries but how they work dynamically to create a chain of supply and demand. Lobster marketing is beneficial for the state’s economy but difficult for the fishermen’s conservation culture.
Tourism provides for a large part of Maine’s economy, but its high levels of consumerism and travel are affecting the environment. During the summer months, coastal residents can always see cruise ships docked. According to a 2009 report from Oceana, 30,000 gallons of sewage are dumped into the oceans daily by an average-sized cruise ship of about 3,000 passengers. Oceana makes it clear that no government agency is confirming that the sewage is properly treated and safe for aquatic life. Aside from the sewage, there is also the release of oily bilge water and the dumping of gray water from laundry, showers, and sinks (Oceana 2009). Cruise ships are quickening the effects of climate change by dispersing toxic chemicals into the ocean and releasing exhaust emissions through smokestacks. To truly uphold the lobstering culture of the state, Mainers must recognize these threats and protect the environment and its wildlife first and foremost.
Conclusion
To conclude, Maine’s local lobster populations are being attacked by the climate. The warming water temperatures are due to changes in currents, sea levels, and the emission of immense amounts of greenhouse gases. The warm water is destroying the marine ecosystems that absorb carbon dioxide. The Gulf of Maine has reached an unfortunate cycle of warmth and destruction that can only be mitigated for the future. Lobster fishing will only become increasingly more difficult for fishermen as the ocean temperatures continue to rise—especially for lobstermen with smaller boats that cannot withstand 10-mile-long journeys off the coast. It is vital that Maine is actively recognizing its threats and working to conserve its cultural identity. The Maine lobster is iconic, and it is my own hope that the industry continues its conservation measures. Lobster is not Maine’s entire identity, but it is a large part. Fishermen work hard to keep lobster populations strong and healthy, but everyone can reflect on their own habits and take action to prevent further destruction to Maine’s beautiful coast and creatures. Whether people enjoy a warm lobster roll or a lobster-shaped lollipop, the image of Maine’s identity persists—when people think of Maine, they think of lobster.
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