Ecology of spiny lobsters, their role in tropical ecosystems, and their fisheries sustainability

For four decades the Butler lab has conducted research on spiny lobsters, particularly two species that occur in the Caribbean: the Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) and the Spotted Spiny Lobster (P. guttatus). You name the research topic and we have probably studied it! Among the areas on which we have conducted research are: early life history, reproductive dynamics, disease ecology, limits to population growth, population connectivity, predator-prey interactions, social biology, aging and senescence, fisheries sustainability, trap design, and on, and on …

Currently the lobster research in our laboratory is focused on three areas of inquiry:

• The respective roles of Caribbean Spiny Lobster and Spotted Spiny Lobster in the trophic structure of coral reefs and whether changes in coral reef health alter tropho-dynamics.

• Development and application of a new method for aging lobsters using bands laid down on stomach ossicles.

• Development of a novel lobster trap accessory designed to simultaneously reduce bycatch and improve ghost trap recovery.