As part of a year-long study of water, the fifth through eighth graders at the Center for Teaching and Learning in Edgecomb have engaged with the Herring Gut Learning Center in Port Clyde (herringgut.org) in a collaborative study of lobsters.  

Alex Brasilli, a Herring Gut educator, helped the students set up a salt water tank in CTL's science lab, where for six weeks a juvenile lobster resided for behavioral observations, water quality monitoring, and experiment. Students measured the salinity (using refractometers), tank pH, nitrites, ammonia, and nitrate levels. They then took three field trips to use Herring Gut's salt water lab to conduct specific studies.  

Students learned about lobster anatomy through the dissection of a cooked lobster and hands-on observations of the anatomy of live lobsters, as well.  After they understood how lobsters work in the sea, they studied the effects of ocean acidification on lobster larval growth and the growth of calcifies in general.  

They examined eggs from a mama lobster under a microscope each week and learned how controlling water temperature could "trick" the mother to release the eggs, which were then collected and raised individually as larvae.  

Finally, they learned about lobster-trapping practices by conducting an in-depth study of bait alternatives and trap modifications to improve fishing practices for a more sustainable fishery. They found that herring, the most widely used lobster bait, is being over-fished, and populations are rapidly declining in the Gulf of Maine.  Alternative baits could help stabilize this issue and provide a long-term solution for lobstermen who are struggling with the rising cost of bait. At Herring Gut, Alex Brasilli and Ann Boover provided ingredients for alternative baits and students tested some recipes.  Back at CTL, teacher Glenn Powers furthered this study, met current Maine bait laws, and conducted alternative bait experiments on the resident lobster. 

The students will be making lobster trap modifications, under the guidance of a local lobsterman, and test these as well.