Presented by Rémy Rochette, UNB Saint John

1. ALSF Lobster Symposium 26-27 July 2011, Moncton NB Improved understanding of lobster stock structure: industry leading academia Presented by Rémy Rochette, UNB Saint John

2. The “Lobster Node” of theCanadian Capture Fisheries Research Network

3. Lobster Node of the NSERCCanadian Capture Fisheries Research Network • 5-year research initiative • End year-1 December 31st, 2011 • Large and evolving collaboration • Industry • fishermen and fishermen associations throughout Atlantic Canada • DFO Science • SABS, BIO, GFC, IML, NLR • Academia • UNB SJ, U. Moncton, U. Laval, UPEI, U. Sainte-Anne ACADEMIA INDUSTRY GOVERNMENT

4. Related projets and funds… • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada • Strategic Project Grant: Age Determination in Crustaceans • Kilada, Rochette, Sainte-Marie, Campana • Strategic Project Grant: Lobster settlement and coastal biodiversity • Rochette, Hunt, Dufresne, Pohle • Discovery Grant: Lobster ecology • Rochette • New Brunswick Innovation Foundation • Research Innovation Fund: Age Determination in Crustaceans • Kilada, Rochette • Research Innovation Fund: Lobster settlement and coastal biodiversity • Rochette, Hunt

5. Result of a consultation exercise with industry… • Objective: • Better define/understand “lobster biological units”, or “lobster stocks”, in Atlantic Canada

6. Fisheries Resource Conservation Council • Outcome of consultation exercise with industry: • Better definition/understandingof”lobster biological units”, or “lobster stocks”, in Atlantic Canada • 2007 FRCC report on a sustainability framework for Atlantic lobster • Identified this question as one of the major impediments to best management of the resource FRCC: Fisheries Resource Conservation Council

7. > 40 management units in Atlantic Canada • management units do not reflect biological stocks….

8. Metapopulation dynamics and biological units (stocks) of American lobster Homarusamericanusin eastern Canada • Overarching objective: • Better define/identify lobster stocks, to assist the development of best management practices • Better understand how different areas are inter-connected and inter-dependent • Identify critical brooding (and spawning) grounds • Identify critical recruitment areas • Where to monitor sustainability metrics

9. 2 3 4 1 5

10. 1Is there spatial variation in egg and larval production? • Quantify the abundance and size of “berried” females in different areas Scientists and students involved: Patrick Ouellet, Bernard Sainte-Marie, John Tremblay, Michel Comeau, Rémy Rochette, Julien Gaudette, Marthe Larsen Haarr

11. 1Spatial variation in egg/larval production • Berried females from NF to BoF • Abundance • Size • Egg development stage (timing of larval release) • Clutch condition • Eggs and larvae (geographic variation?) • Condition (lipids, RNA/DNA) • Larval performance (growth, settlement)

12. 1Spatial variation in egg/larval production • Development of standard protocols, tools and data base • >4,500 berried females, and counting... http://biodiversitycollector.com/lobster-project-2011/lobster_index.php

13. 2 How does larval dispersal connect lobster stocks and fishing areas? • Large-scale individual-based bio-physical model to estimate potential connectivity of lobster stocks through larval drift • Current model (Chassé & Miller 2010) • expand to include entire range (NEMO-OPA) • improve biological inputs Scientists and students involved: Jöel Chassé, Rémy Rochette, Brady Quinn

14. Destination of postlarvae

15. Origin of postlarvae

16. 3 Patterns and processes underlying settlement of post-larvae? • Does the model successfully predict larval settlement? • Determine whether there is significant recruitment on fine-sediment bottoms Scientists and students involved: John Tremblay, Rémy Rochette, Peter Lawton, Gilles Miron, Gudjon Sigurdsson, Kristin Dinning

17. 3Patterns and processes underlying settlement of post-larvae? • Elucidate link between larval supply and settlement • Identify settlement hotspots • Estimate inter-annual and spatial variability in settlement Scientists and students involved: John Tremblay, RémyRochette, Peter Lawton, Gilles Miron, Gudjon Sigurdsson, Kristin Dinning

18. GOOD MODERATE LOW 0-0.06 0.3 0.09 1.2 0.05 0.3-0.5 1.0 0-0.06 0

19. 4 How does movement of benthic lobsters contribute to connectivity? • Movement (site fidelity, seasonal migrations) of juvenile and adult lobsters • Traditional tagging studies and ultrasonic telemetry Scientists and students involved: Michel Comeau, Rémy Rochette, Peter Lawton, Bryan Morse

20. VRAP study in 2010(≈1000 m2; 20-50 mm CL) • Real-time position information based on triangulation (RAPT) • 100-200 m study triangle

21. 25% of time out of shelter (daily average, n=10) • Min: 3.5% (25 mm CL) • Max: 62% (31.3 mm CL) • Significantly more active during nightly high tides 20.3 mm CL 47 mm CL

22. VRAP and VR2 study in 2011 (2-4 km2; 25-120 mm CL) • Archived position information based on triangulation (e.g., VR2) 200-300 meters

23. 5 Is there genetic differentiation between lobster stocks? • Takes advantage of recent developments in the field of molecular ecology • Non-neutral genetic markers • More likely to reveal finer spatial-scale genetic structuring than neutral genetic markers • More likely to reveal adaptation to local conditions Scientists and students involved: Louis Bernatchez, Spencer Greenwood Kenchington et al. 2009

24. Our goals within the NSERC Network… • Improve our understanding of lobster stock structure and connectivity • Identify areas particularly important to sustainability: • larval production • larval settlement • Build the collaboration and its research capability…

25. Where we are now… • We have developed a research agenda that will enhance our understanding of lobster stock structure and connectivity • Our most important accomplishment to date is arguably the large tri-partite collaborative platform we have developed, as it is essential to the realization of this and future research initiatives spanning the range of the species in Atlantic Canada • We have identified inequalities in the ability of industry to participate in the research, and acknowledge these deficiencies need to be addressed

26. Where to next… • We are pursuing additional sources of funding, to deliver on our research agenda and help industry fully participate • We have since the spring been elaborating a proposal to ACOA’s AIF for this purpose • The AIF project would also involve research on the most appropriate sustainability indices for the industry, and the creation of self-financed system for the ongoing collection and analysis of lobster sustainability data/indices • Discussions are on-going with different members of the value chain to refine our proposal

27. Questions Photo Brent Wilson

28. One of the largest research initiative on American lobsters to date Industry David Decker Darryl MacIver Martin Mallet Klaus Sonnenberg Keith Paugh Gordon MacDonald Dounia Daoud Sylvia Rumbolt Jackie Baker Rachel Long Monty Way Laura Ramsey Nellie Baker Norma Richardson and more to come… Industry Marc Allain Patty King Kevin Squires Leonard Leblanc Mario Déraspe Ginny Boudreau Eugène O’Leary Ashton Spinney Christian Brun Michelle Thériault Maria Recchia Peter Connors Ronnie Heighton • Academia • Rémy Rochette • Gilles Miron • Louis Bernatchez • Spencer Greenwood • Jean Lavallée • Michelle Theriault • Jerry Amirault Government Bernard Sainte-Marie John Tremblay Joël Chassé Patrick Ouellet Michel Comeau Louise Gendron Robert MacMillan Peter Lawton Julien Gaudette Rob Stephenson 17 industry organisations 5 universities 5 government research facilities