Crustacean Pot Light

The primary goal of this project is to assess the utility and effectiveness of various light colors in attracting Jonah crab and American lobster in pots, improving catch per unit effort (CPUE )within these fisheries. CCE seeks to achieve our project goals through the following objectives: 1) To perform a comparative study between the experimental treatments and the control; 2) To conduct data analysis to quantitatively assess the impact of each treatment type as compared to a control; 3) To implement outreach and education to relevant stakeholders to effectively disseminate the results and promote industry adoption.

The proposed project will consist of at-sea trials within the existing fisheries targeting Jonah crab and American lobster. We have partnered with two New York commercial fishing vessels interested in this project: The F/V Exit Strategy and the F/V Lady K are commercial lobster and crab boats based out of Montauk, NY. The captains of these two vessels have combined over 50 years of experience commercial fishing in New York and bring a wealth of knowledge and insight to this project. Working with experienced captains adds immense value to the project and will help us achieve our project goals in a manner most suited to NY fisheries. The project will be conducted in the oceanic waters south of Long Island in Lobster Management Area 4, and waters of the Long Island Sound in Management Area 6.

The project will be using specially designed, waterproof LEDs created by Fishtek Marine, a bycatch reduction technology company based in the UK. These devices are low cost, have multiple color options, and are designed for use within commercial fisheries at depths up to 1200 meters. Light color and intensity will be consistent through each treatment

Funding for this project comes from New York Sea Grant.

Last updated February 21, 2025