PORTLAND, Maine - Scientists will begin aiding fishermen next year by issuing weekly forecasts about lobster migration.
The Portland Press Herald reports the forecasts will begin in spring and will indicate when lobsters start to migrate from deep waters off the coast to state waters where they are easier to trap. The forecasts are based on water temperatures.
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland announced the initiative on Thursday. Early indicators of lobster movement could help lobster fishermen and processors prepare for conditions like those that occurred in 2012, when high ocean temperatures caused an early migration toward the shore.
Maine's lobster industry experienced record-setting high catches in 2012 and 2013, resulting in high availability but depressed prices. Fishermen say this year appears to be more moderate.