Iconic America Fishery

Photo by Keith Ellenbogen | MIT Sea Grant Visiting Artist.

Sea Grant’s American Lobster Initiative awards $5.4 million to further innovative research and outreach in support of the lobster industry and fishing communities.

The American lobster (Homarus americanus) is one of the most iconic American fisheries, with approximately 121 million pounds in landings valued at $521 million in 2022. Yet the American lobster fishery and fishing communities in the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and southern New England continue to face uncertainties due to environmental and socio-economic changes. Such challenges underscore the need for continued research and engagement to not only understand the fishery’s current state but also prepare for its future state.

Since 2019, Sea Grant’s American Lobster Initiative has addressed critical knowledge gaps about the American lobster and its fishery facing a dynamic and changing environment. The Initiative supports a regional extension program in the Northeast and a national research competition.

The Initiative supports 15 emerging research projects and continued extension work. Click below to review the projects.