A recent Associated Press (AP) article reported on an increase in accounts of odd-colored lobsters found in New England and Atlantic Canada fishing grounds. According to the AP, reports of blue, orange, yellow, calico, white, and split lobsters occur each month, but such reports used to be rare. According to Michael Tlusty, the New England Aquarium’s research director, the reason for the increase in colorful lobsters is unknown, but may be due to (1) advances in technology such as cell phone cameras and social media which make sharing pictures easier and (2) an increase in the overall lobster harvest, resulting in the capture of a greater number of these lobsters. The executive director of The Lobster Conservancy, Diane Cowan, also explained that the population of uniquely colored lobsters may have increased because of a decline in predators. These lobsters are unable to blend into the ocean floor like normal colored lobsters and are generally more likely to be a predator target.
