Abstract

In the Florida Keys, recruitment of postlarval Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) has been monitored using modified Witham collectors since 1986. Recruitment occurs year-round peaking from November to May. However, analysis of this 31-year time series has shown no correlation between postlarval recruitment and fishery landings in Florida. In 2013, a new, more durable collector constructed using frayed polypropylene rope was developed. This rope collector caught more postlarval lobsters than Witham collectors during high recruitment months, but caught the same amount of postlarvae during low recruitment months. We hypothesize that our Witham collectors reached capacity in peak recruitment months and therefore underestimated recruitment during those months. This inability of Witham collectors to accurately measure peak recruitment may have compromised the identification of correlations between postlarval recruitment and landings in Florida’s lobster fishery. A re-evaluation of potential correlations, or more accurately, the historic lack of correlations, between postlarval recruitment and the legal-sized lobster population is warranted in Florida and may be useful for localized populations in other areas of the Caribbean.

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