CITIZEN SCIENCE AIDS NORWEGIAN LOBSTER CONSERVATION

Citizen science aids Norwegian lobster conservation. Data collection through citizen science works well when measuring the effects of marine conservation, according to the results of one project in Norway.
For several years, volunteer citizen scientists have followed similar mapping methods as marine scientists in southern Norway. With traps, they have fished lobster in both the conservation area and the reference area, measured and released the lobster again. This means that scientists now have more information about the protected areas for lobster.
Petter Torgan, a master’s student at NTNU, has analysed the effects of the lobster conservation areas based on solid data, which is the result of an enormous effort from countless enthusiasts over many years.
“Data collection through citizen science works well when measuring the effects of marine conservation on lobster. The lobster is both larger and more numerous in all protected areas compared to reference areas,” he says.
“The volunteer citizen scientists deserve a real salute! There are a lot of talented people involved here.”
On average, the lobster density in the protected areas increased by 22 per cent per year.
“In comparison, there were no major changes outside the reference ranges,” says Torgan. In the protected areas, lobsters increased by an average of 2.5 per cent each year. The average size of the males also increased faster than that of the females.
“This is most likely related to the fact that the females are already exposed to a lower catch pressure through the protection of lobster,” Torgan said.