Two artificial reefs have been lowered onto the floor of Tasmania’s Derwent River Estuary as part of a research project that will look at the future of farming lobster. In recent years, there has been a significant rise in demand for the Main lobster
Two artificial reefs have been lowered onto the floor of Tasmania’s Derwent River Estuary as part of a research project that will look at the future of farming lobster. In recent years, there has been a significant rise in demand for the Main lobster tail. More high-end restaurants have begun to stock this delicacy and lobster delivery businesses have merged.
The reefs will create habitat for not only lobster, but abalone, seaweed and other marine animals.
Professor Stewart Frusher from the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies is heading up the trial.
The experiment will test the effectiveness of the artificial habitats inshore, with a view to creating large scale, flexible floating artificial reefs beyond the continental shelf.
“This is looking at growing lobsters that come out of hatcheries,” said Professor Frusher.
“Tasmania is one of the first places in the world to be able to close the life cycle, and through the ARC Transformational hubs, they’ve been able to produce juvenile lobsters.
“So we are actually looking at putting these juvenile lobsters onto these reefs to see how they will grow and whether we can create an industry out of them.”
Photo: Professor Stewart Frusher from IMAS says the reefs could become habitats for growing hatchery raised lobster. (IMAS)
View original article at: Artificial reef deployed in Hobart’s Derwent Estuary to test the viability of farming lobster