Healthy Lobsters "Healthy Lobsters" on the Maine coast is a priority for Bigelow Laboratory's marine scientist Dr Charles O'Kelly. O'Kelly recently delivered a talk to the public, at Spruce Point Inn, on efforts to maintain the health of an animal, vital to the coast. (Photo Daniel Fayen)

The mysterious die-off of millions of lobsters crippled New York's $100 million industry, affected more than 900 lobstermen and their families, and delivered a body-blow to the area fisheries.

The prospect of a similar fate happening here is real and a matter of profound concern that needs to be seriously addressed, according to Bigelow Laboratory marine scientist Charles O'Kelly.

Dr. O'Kelly delivered a highly informative and interesting presentation on lobster pathology on Tuesday evening September 28 at the Spruce Point Inn. O'Kelly's presentation represented the last of a series of six Caf Scientifique discussions on oceanography and science sponsored by Boothbay Harbor's Bigelow Marine Laboratory.

Bigelow Laboratory is a world- renowned, private, non-profit marine science research institution. Bigelow finds its primary financial support from federal research grants and donations.

O'Kelly's passion for marine science was clearly palpable to an audience of nearly 50 Tuesday evening. His presentation ably delivered advanced marine science in an eloquent and often humorous manner clearly comprehended by the predominantly layman audience.

A senior scientist at Bigelow, O' Kelly specializes in the field of the biodiversity of micro algae and protozoa. He received his baccalaureate degree from Bates College and completed graduate study at the University of Washington.

O'Kelly researched seaweed in New Zealand and Australia and worked for the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. before joining Bigelow Lab in 1998.

"I got into this issue (lobster pathology research) because lobsters are big news," O' Kelly said.

"There is a great financial and commercial interest in this realm. On the coast of Maine, the lobster industry generates roughly $200 million dollars, roughly $16 million dollars in Lincoln County alone," Kelly said. He underscored the importance of the lobster to Maine saying, "A healthy lobster means a healthy Maine economy; and conversely a sick animal results in a poor economy.

"Despite the profound importance of the lobster on the local economy, scientists know next to nothing about lobsters," O'Kelly said. "Stuff happens and that's why I entered into research on lobster pathology."

Determining the cause of the 1999 western Long Island Sound massive lobster die-off is still under investigation. Marine research scientists hope the resulting findings will prevent its reoccurrence.

The 1999 lobster tragedy affected the lobster industry as far east as Massachusetts, in the waters south of Cape Cod.

"Lobsters being caught in eastern Long Island Sound looked as if they had been exclusively eating a diet of McDonald's french fries," O'Kelly said of the lobster's shell disease. Diners refused to consume the unhealthy-looking crustaceans, forcing retailers to sell lobster meat at half-price.

The lobster disease with its resulting dramatic drop in revenue compelled many lobstermen in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island to leave the industry.

O'Kelly and other marine scientists have several theories for what caused the "die-off" but no definitive answers. Researchers hope knowing the environmental conditions leading into the tragedy will shed light in protecting future lobster "die-offs."

"The animal population of Long Island Sound had reached historic heights prior to the die-off. Over-population is a pre-disposing part of disease. Sea water temperature stood at the upper-imits of the lobster threshold of tolerance at 74 degrees and stayed high through September and October putting the animal under further stress. Hurricane Floyd and other storms swept through during that summer causing a heightened run-off," O'Kelly said

The run-off was seen as an issue of added concern to area fisheries' health, O'Kelly said, since significant amounts of pesticides had been used to combat West Nile Disease would now enter the Sound.

Western Long Island Sound lobsters developed a tissue infestation Scientists found a type of amoeba "prevalent in the animals during the lobster crash," and they felt this amoeba was responsible for the disease. "Everyone said they had never seen that type of amoeba before. A fear developed that the amoeba was imported and a hysteria ensued, which often happens when new diseases appear," O'Kelly said.

O'Kelly and several other marine scientists recognized the amoeba not as something new but an organism they had seen before.

Digging a little into the DNA sequence, O'Kelly, along with others, discovered the amoeba was not anything new at all. They realized this amoeba was present everywhere in the ocean, feeding on bacteria, but under certain conditions the amoeba eat lobsters, crabs and salmon..

The amoeba, O'Kelly said "are less prevalent in Long Island Sound than before, and are going back to their less pathological state."

He has confidence the lobster population will be back in the "Sound" and the fisheries' industry there will be revived.

Another lobster malady, shell disease, is caused by bacteria growth. Lobsters developing shell disease have their shells completely mottled within three to four months of getting the disease.

The hypotheses for understanding causes of shell disease break down into three categories, O'Kelly said, "bad bugs, bad water or bad food."

O'Kelly, favoring the bad food hypothesis, said maybe we need more research on the effects of lobster diet in relation to its well-being.

O'Kelly stressed more research is imperative, especially in an economy that relies so heavily on robust lobster populations, to understanding lobster pathologies such as Shell Disease, Red Tail, Bumper Car disease and Limp Lobster Syndrome.

Recent reports, he said, show lobster populations are declining in Maine. A research team including Rick Wahle of Bigelow Lab, Lou Incze of USM predicted a dip in the lobster population from their tally of baby lobsters in the 1990s. However, the Wahle and Incze's model did not factor in diseases.

"Animals in Maine are currently healthy. Now is the time to put money into research to determine what a healthy lobster is, so as to combat lobster diseases. We know virtually nothing about a lobster's mechanism of disease resistance," O'Kelly said.

"There's a huge amount of work to be done and only baby steps are being made. The trouble is we don't have money to do the necessary research," O'Kelly said.

Current research on lobster health at Bigelow and other marine research centers is largely funded by a Federal Sea Grant.

With such meager funding, marine scientists are pooling their financial and scientific resources in an attempt to address the vexing challenges presented by lobster diseases. Teams from research institutions from as far away as Texas and the University of Prince Edward Island are pooling their resources with Bigelow for more potent research. Such cooperation is unusual in the in the scientific community, as the teams put aside differences in a united front in the cause of lobster health.

Proactive scientific research is of paramount importance to the maintenance of a healthy lobster industry in Maine. Sadly, necessary research is being handicapped by the lack of available funds. The future health of Maine fisheries is extremely fortunate having the caliber of dedicated professionals such as Charlie O'Kelly.

Boothbay Register reporter Daniel Fayen may be reached at the Register office at (207) 633-4620: or E-mail at danielemmett@ya hoo.com.