Lobsters On The Brain

It may be strange times for us, but things are getting pretty wild for crustaceans right now, too. Marine biologists are putting miniature fitness trackers on lobsters. Yes, you read that correctly. The devices aren’t counting steps, but monitoring the quality of shipping conditions, to reduce stress points and improve survival in the #Maine lobster supply chain. The @university.of.maine Lobster Institute, lobster industry partners, and scientific collaborators at #SaintJoesMaine and Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve are all on board. SJC Assistant Professor of Biology Steve Jury—seen here with Lily Russell ’21—has been collaborating on the initiative. The effort was one of 30 projects nationwide to receive funding earlier this year from @NOAA‘s Saltonstall-Kennedy Program. Of the eight funded projects in the Atlantic region, it is the only one focused on the American lobster!