Our coastal and ocean environment is a shared space. The health of these systems is tied to our own human health. Humans have a responsibility to preserve and protect the environment, for our own health and the health of the animals that live there. The ocean is like the planet’s heart, pumping heat and moisture, regulating climate, oxygen and temperature. Learn more about how this works from this NASA video, and brainstorm some creative ways to keep our ocean systems healthy below! For years, lobstermen have worked to protect the lobster fishery by regulating the number and type (size, egg bearing females) of lobsters they keep in order to ensure a healthy and productive population. As we learn more about Right Whales and their feeding and swimming behaviors, some lobster fishers are thinking creatively about how to design a trap without ropes, to help reduce the risk of entanglement! Check out the Conservation Design Challenge below and send us your design ideas!
To learn more about the American Lobster, download our American Lobster Fact Sheets and check out one of our favorite lobsters at Seacoast Science Center in the Lobster Video below. You can dive even deeper with these Fun Facts about our favorite crustaceans from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.