The Secret Life of Lobsters (27 page)

T
his book is a work of nonfiction, and all characters, events, and scenes in the book are real. A number of the events I witnessed firsthand, particularly those that involved the lobstermen of Little Cranberry Island after 1995, including episodes of lobster fishing, island life, and scientific research, often aboard boats. More generally, my personal experiences have also contributed to my descriptions of lobster fishing and island living. I have been visiting Little Cranberry Island all my life. I lived on the island year-round from 1996 to 1998 and stayed there for parts of 2001 and 2003. For two complete years, 1996–97, I worked full-time as the sternman aboard Bruce Fernald's lobster boat, the
Double Trouble
. At one point in the text, when I refer to an unnamed sternman on Bruce's boat, I am referring to myself.

For the events that I did not witness, my primary source was interviews. I supplemented the interviews with documentary evidence whenever possible. When documentary evidence was unavailable, I was usually able to corroborate information about an event with at least two sources. All speech that appears in quotation marks was either recorded by me during the event, quoted from a documentary source, or confirmed as an accurate reflection of what was said at the time by all parties
to the conversations depicted. When describing scientific research, I studied published reports about the research in peer-reviewed journals to buttress the information gathered during interviews. Readers familiar with the events described in this book may notice that I have taken some minor liberties with chronology. I have done this to simplify the presentation by keeping material organized thematically. The sections within chapters are generally in chronological order.

In a broader sense, I have taken another liberty—I have chosen to tell the story of a particular set of people. As a result, many others who have made major contributions to the Maine lobster fishery are not featured in the text. For example, while the lobstermen of Little Cranberry Island have been active in lobster research, it was the lobstermen of the South Bristol Fishermen's Co-op in midcoast Maine who were pioneers in collaborating with ecologists in academia. Other lobstermen who have been actively involved in science and management but are not mentioned in the text include David Cousens, the current president of the Maine Lobstermen's Association; Leroy Bridges, the former president of the Down East Lobstermen's Association; Walter Day, of Vinalhaven Island; and Brian McLain of New Harbor—to name just a very few. Lobsterman Dick Allen of Rhode Island has been a key player for decades at the interface of science and industry and was involved in some of the events described in this book. Joe Vachon and other members of the Maine Lobstermen's Association played roles as well.

Likewise, although the scientists described in this book have advanced our understanding of the biology, behavior, and ecology of lobsters, they are not the only ones to have done so. Canadian scientists have been studying the American lobster for decades and are too numerous to name, although Alan Campbell, G. P. Ennis, and Douglas Pezzack should be mentioned in addition to those who appear in the text. In the United States, Richard Cooper and Joseph Uzmann of the National Marine Fisheries Service conducted pioneering undersea observations of lobster ecology, using both scuba
gear and manned submersibles. Biologists working for Norman-deau Associates began sampling lobster larvae off the New Hampshire coast as early as the 1970s. Robert Dow, Jay Krouse, and Michael Fogarty have been influential experts on lobster ecology and population dynamics for many years. Several international conferences—involving about a hundred lobster scientists—set the stage for the research I have focused on here, and dozens of fisheries biologists, economists, and resource managers from state and federal government as well as academia have been involved in lobster-stock assessment and management. In addition, the Island Institute in Rockland, Maine, has contributed in countless ways to lobster research along the Maine coast and has done much to foster collaboration between fishing communities and researchers, especially in Penobscot Bay but also in other places, including Little Cranberry Island.

Several hundred graduate students, undergraduate students, research assistants, and summer interns participated in the scientific research projects described in this book, along with a number of collaborators not mentioned in the text. In Stanley Cobb's laboratory at the University of Rhode Island, the shelter-eviction and annexation experiments were conducted primarily by David O'Neill, while Patricia Rooney built the seawater racetrack for superlobsters and designed the experiments measuring their swimming speeds. In Jelle Atema's lab at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Stewart Jacobson, Elisa Karnofsky, Susan Oleszko-Szuts, and Lauren Stein assisted Atema with the lobster-mating experiments in the large tanks, and Elisa Karnofsky and Randall Elgin were Atema's collaborators in the nighttime snorkeling studies. Rainer Voigt was involved in much of the work in Atema's lab and assisted Diane Cowan with her observations there. Christa Karavanich was the primary researcher conducting experiments on individual recognition in lobster combat in Atema's lab, and Thomas Breithaupt was the primary researcher studying urine release in lobster combat. Paul Bushmann conducted much of the experimentation on female selection of dominant males in Atema's flume tank, and the
dopamine-electrode lobster-backpack experiment was developed and conducted by Jennifer Basil. Independently, Edward Kravitz at Harvard Medical School has led numerous studies on the role of serotonin in lobster aggression. At the University of New Hampshire, the lobster-trap-video experiment was a joint project of Steven Jury, Hunt Howell, Daniel O'Grady, and Winsor Watson. Lewis Incze's circulation modeling and larval-delivery simulation was jointly conducted with Christopher Naimie of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. Neal Pettigrew, Huijie Xue, and Andrew Thomas of the University of Maine are among the oceanographers involved in GoMOOS.

For a journalist to navigate the parallel waterways of a century-old industry on the one hand and a specialized scientific field on the other is a daunting challenge, and no doubt there are many people whose work I have not done justice. I have tried to ensure accuracy throughout this book, and I have received a lot of help in the attempt. The errors that remain are mine.

M
ore than a hundred scientific articles and technical reports from academic journals and government publications served as primary sources for this book, along with dozens of news reports. The full bibliography is available online at www.Secret Life of Lobsters.com. The following books also served as sources and will be of interest to readers who desire a more in-depth discussion of lobster biology, the culture and history of the Maine coast, and the management of the lobster fishery.

Acheson, James M.
Capturing the Commons: Devising Institutions to Manage the Maine Lobster Industry.
Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 2003.

———.
The Lobster Gangs of Maine.
Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1988.

Brown, Mike.
The Great Lobster Chase: The Real Story of Maine Lobsters and the Men Who Catch Them.
Camden, ME: International Marine Publishing Company, 1985.

Caldwell, Bill.
Islands of Maine: Where America Really Began.
Camden, ME: Down East Books, 1981.

Cobb, J. Stanley, and Bruce F. Phillips.
The Biology and Management of Lobsters.
(2 vols.) New York: Academic Press, 1980.

Conkling, Philip W., and Anne Hayden.
Lobsters Great and Small.
Rockland, ME: Island Institute, 2002.

Dwelley, Hugh L.
A History of Little Cranberry Island, Maine.
Islesford, ME: Islesford Historical Society, 2000.

Factor, Jan Robert, ed.
Biology of the Lobster,
Homarus americanus. San Diego: Academic Press, 1995.

Herrick, Francis H.
The American Lobster: Its Habits and Development.
Washington, DC: U.S. Fish Commission, 1895.

Martin, Kenneth R., and Nathan R. Lipfert.
Lobstering and the Maine Coast.
Bath, ME: Maine Maritime Museum, 1985.

A
nyone writing today about the Maine lobster industry owes a debt to James Acheson, author of the seminal study
The Lobster Gangs of Maine
(1988) and the more recent
Capturing the Commons: Devising Institutions to Manage the Maine Lobster Industry
(2003). Since the 1970s, Dr. Acheson has applied the methods of anthropological inquiry to a long-term study of lobstering culture on the Maine coast. His decades of research—in the archives and aboard boats—provided a rich context for my own two years of working aboard lobster boats and living cheek by jowl with lobstermen. Dr. Acheson generously shared an early draft of
Capturing the Commons
with me, and I relied heavily on the book for my understanding of the history of Maine's lobster-conservation laws.

In conducting my research I was assisted by capable experts at a number of facilities, including Pamela Shephard-Lupo at the Bigelow Laboratory and Maine Department of Marine Resources Library and Information Center in Boothbay Harbor; the staff of the Ernst Mayr Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University; and reference librarians at the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Massachusetts State Archives, the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University, and the George H. W. Bush Presidential
Library at Texas A&M University. Robert Bayer of the University of Maine's Lobster Institute took time from his busy schedule to show me a number of research projects, and the Lobster Institute's assistant director, Cathy Billings, patiently fielded a string of follow-up questions and requests. The Island Institute provided generous logistical assistance. The captains, crews, and technicians of the research vessels
Edwin Link, Connecticut,
and
Alice Siegmund
kindly put up with my presence during busy workdays aboard their boats. Ivar Babb at the National Undersea Research Center at the University of Connecticut and Jan Petri at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution provided technical information regarding dive operations.

Among others, the following people shared their knowledge, experience, and resources with me during my work on this book: Gary Allen and Lisa Hall of Great Cranberry Island, Robert Atwan of
Best American Essays,
Bob Bowman of the Center for Coastal Studies, Don Bradford of Downeast Marine Resources, Don Carrigan of WCSH Channel 6, Yong Chen of the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine, David Conover of Compass Light Film and Video Production, Christopher Costello of Little Cranberry Island, David Cousens of the Maine Lobstermen's Association, Patrice Farrey of the Maine Lobstermen's Association, Rodney Feldmann of Kent State University, Joseph Fessenden of the Maine Bureau of Marine Patrol, Randy Flood of Downeast Marine Resources, Michael Fogarty of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Joseph Hannibal of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Sue Hill of Little Cranberry Island, Josef Idoine of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Joseph Kelley of the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine, Christopher Kellogg of the New England Fisheries Management Council, Jay Krouse of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, Fred and Mary Lord of Port Clyde, Steve and Amy Philbrook of Little Cranberry Island, Ted Spurling Sr. of Little Cranberry Island, Heather Stirratt of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Richard Swartz
of
Transition
magazine, David Thomas of Little Cranberry Island, Dale Tshudy of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, James Wilson of the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine, and Huijie Xue of the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine. Bill Adler of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association also provided assistance, as did Paul Urbanus and Skippy Ryan of the Boston Harbor Lobstermen's Co-op. I am indebted to Shannon Fanning for the Irish epigraph that appears on the opening page. I extend my apologies to those not mentioned, and assure them of my appreciation.

The characters who appear in
The Secret Life of Lobsters
are real people leading busy lives. I am grateful to all of them for letting me tell their stories, and for their support during the process of researching the book. Many of them submitted to repeated interviews and endless questioning, sometimes in the comfort of their kitchens and living rooms but often in the middle of a hectic workday aboard a boat, on a wharf, on the beach, or in a lab. The scientists in this book made heroic efforts to help me understand their work. On Little Cranberry Island, Jack Merrill's warmth and thoughtfulness were an inspiration, and Bruce Fernald's generosity and upbeat attitude were an example to follow. Bruce deserves special thanks for employing me as his sternman aboard the
Double Trouble
—stuffing bait bags and hefting traps for him was a privilege. Bruce and Barb Fernald and Paul and Brenda Fernald and their children were the best neighbors I could have asked for during Little Cranberry Island's long winters. The Fernald clan, including Warren and Ann, and many others on Little Cranberry, welcomed me into the community and made me feel at home.
The Secret Life of Lobsters
is, I hope, a way of giving something back.

This project first came to life thanks to the editors of the
Atlantic Monthly
, who in 2001 asked me to write a magazine article on lobster science and fishing. From the beginning, Cullen Murphy guided the project with patience and wisdom, building the foundation for the book. The late Michael Kelly
turned his characteristic curiosity to the subject of lobstering. Toby Lester, a first-rate editor, has been a helpful friend as well, beginning with my internship at the magazine and continuing as I contributed articles. Amy Meeker and Yvonne Rolzhausen taught me the value of pursuing accuracy, and many other members of the magazine's staff have provided encouragement, especially Lucie Prinz. I am grateful to William Whitworth for noticing me and bringing me on board in the first place.

My agent, Stuart Krichevsky, shepherded me through the production of this book with perspicacity, good humor, and some valuable editorial suggestions; Shana Cohen contributed her expertise as well as friendship and cheer. My editor at HarperCollins, Hugh Van Dusen, has been hugely enthusiastic from the beginning, spurring me on at all the right moments and providing insightful comments and encouragement throughout the process. The rest of the capable staff at HarperCollins has my appreciation as well.

I owe an unfathomable debt to several people who went beyond the call of duty to help me improve the manuscript. Throughout the two years I was working on the book, Jennifer Hammock of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was a source of brilliant ideas, keenly reasoned advice, and lessons on scientific thinking; in draft after draft she made countless helpful suggestions. Sarah Corson of Southwest Harbor, Maine, who for most of my life has been teaching me how to write, took time from working on her own book to critique my drafts; her observations resulted in dramatic improvements. Michael Vazquez of
Transition
magazine applied his extraordinary editorial mind to the manuscript and made several wide-ranging recommendations that greatly improved the book.

Over the years my family and friends have tolerated my lobster obsession with grace (some have even claimed to enjoy it), and all of them have my gratitude—Sarah Corson, Dick Atlee, Ann Corson, Ashley Corson, Jennifer Hammock, Spencer Boyer, and the Bishop Allen Co-op in particular. I
wish that my father, Walter Corson—an environmentalist and a scientist—could have lived to read this book, for it was his quirky passion and unflagging encouragement that made my own peregrinations possible. He has my everlasting thanks.

 

Although in no way related to the production of this book, the following organizations and agencies, among others, provided the funding and institutional support that made the research described in this book possible in the first place. Without them I would not have had any lobster science to write about: the Boston Foundation; Boston University; the Culpepper Foundation; the Darden Environmental Trust; the Davis Conservation Foundation; the Environmental Protection Agency; the Greater Piscataqua Community Foundation; the Guggenheim Foundation; the Gulf of Maine Regional Research Program; the Humboldt Foundation; the Island Institute; the Kendall Foundation; the Maine Community Foundation; the Maine Department of Marine Resources; the Maine Geological Survey; the Maine Lobster Zone Councils; the Maine Lobstermen's Association; the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund; the Maine Sea Grant Program; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; the National Institutes of Health; the National Marine Fisheries Service; the National Science Foundation; the New Hampshire Sea Grant Program; the NOAA Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research; the NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service; the NOAA National Sea Grant Program; the NOAA National Undersea Research Program; the Northeast Consortium; the Office of Naval Research; the Pew Foundation for Marine Conservation; the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management; the Rhode Island Sea Grant Program; the University of Maine Center for Marine Studies; the University of New Hampshire Center for Marine Biology; the UpEast Foundation; the Whitehall Foundation; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.