Lobster Walk

[tekkydiver]

Lobster were walking. Yesteday was a little to snotty... Today was perfect. Won't last too much longer. Get out there if you can.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Lobster were walking. Yesteday was a little to snotty... Today was perfect. Won't last too much longer. Get out there if you can.

While I’m not a lobster hunter, I am interested in learning all I can about animal behavior. After a storm, what causes lobster to ‘go walking’?

 

[Jaan]

I guess they are coming out of hiding. I've just seen videos and never witnessed it but indeed pretty cool. Here is an old research paper discussing lobster walking (seems to be related to salinity)
Quote: Spiny lobsters also appear to avoid low salinity conditions associated with intense storms. The effect of a freshet on spiny lobsters was observed in the St. Lucie Estuary, Florida, USA (Witham et al. 1968) when Hurricane Alma caused the salinity to drop to as low as 6 ppt. This low salinity event interrupted the normal influx of spiny lobster pueruli, and they returned only after the salinity had increased to an average of about 23 ppt

https://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/119/m119p305.pdf

Now why do they actually do the 'march' in formation .. Hmm.

 

[Johnoly]

.., what causes lobster to ‘go walking’?

@Jaan said it,,Salinity. But it takes about 5 days after an event to flush them out of their 'inland waterways' spots. Normal ocean salinity is 35ppm, the St. Lucie canal is at 13ppm salinity today. And when you are summer diving with the afternoon rain storms, you get that top 15ft of haze layer from fresh water because it floats on top of the saltwater, but in the rivers it's fresh water top to bottom.

They have not opened the freshwater flood gates of Lk Okee since even with the storm it is still way below needed levels. {those gates also kill our viz for wks / Today=14ft,,Want 17ft} Most of the bugs are undersized, but there are thousands in the waterways. There will be reports of them walking up on the beaches right outside of the inlet and hotel guest scooping them up to run back to their beach rooms.

This all may seem strange because freshwater has 20% more dissolved oxygen than salt water making it easier to breathe. But lobsters get irritated with many consecutive days of low salinity and start the walk.

 

[BRT]

@Jaan said it,,Salinity. But it takes about 5 days after an event to flush them out of their 'inland waterways' spots. Normal ocean salinity is 35ppm, the St. Lucie canal is at 13ppm salinity today. And when you are summer diving with the afternoon rain storms, you get that top 15ft of haze layer from fresh water because it floats on top of the saltwater, but in the rivers it's fresh water top to bottom.

They have not opened the freshwater flood gates of Lk Okee since even with the storm it is still way below needed levels. {those gates also kill our viz for wks / Today=14ft,,Want 17ft} Most of the bugs are undersized, but there are thousands in the waterways. There will be reports of them walking up on the beaches right outside of the inlet and hotel guest scooping them up to run back to their beach rooms.

This all may seem strange because freshwater has 20% more dissolved oxygen than salt water making it easier to breathe. But lobsters get irritated with many consecutive days of low salinity and start the walk.

Question. If you were able to set traps for lobster would you set them near coral or out in the open sand bottom?

 

[Johnoly]

Question. If you were able to set traps for lobster would you set them near coral or out in the open sand bottom?

I'm not familiar with California trapping laws and practices. Lobster's are nocturnal mostly move/walk around under the cover of darkness. But in Florida, most trappers will set their traps where diver's won't encounter them for obvious reasons. Lobsters move around with currents, temps, available food and time of year. This month's great spot is next month's zero catch.
Fun Fact>>. In Florida did you know that ~10-15% of a trap's catch value can be in lionfish caught in that trap?

 

[BRT]

I'm not familiar with California trapping laws and practices. Lobster's are nocturnal mostly move/walk around under the cover of darkness. But in Florida, most trappers will set their traps where diver's won't encounter them for obvious reasons. Lobsters move around with currents, temps, available food and time of year. This month's great spot is next month's zero catch.
Fun Fact>>. In Florida did you know that ~10-15% of a trap's catch value can be in lionfish caught in that trap?

I'm more interested in whether traps would be more effective near coral or out in the middle of the sandy areas.

 

[100days-a-year]

They walk far offshore in water unaffected by freshwater runoff. Usually after a storm , but also during thermoclines.
Males and unegged females will bolt but egged up females will stay put.
Seen pods of big lobster hundreds in number two and three deep in every crevice on a reef.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I'm more interested in whether traps would be more effective near coral or out in the middle of the sandy areas.

Im under the impression you can't trap them with a recreational license.

 

[BRT]

Im under the impression you can't trap them with a recreational license.

My interest is in Mexico, not Florida. I have a friend who is a fisherman in Isla Mujeres. They always set the traps out in the barren areas away from structure. Of course, when they dive for lobster they are looking in structure. Makes no sense to me, but he says that out in the barren areas is where the lobster come parading through heading for Central America??? My interest isn't in what is legal in Florida or California, but in what might work if you made your living catching lobster in Mexico.