Feeding Behaviour Research

 Both groups of lobsters were fed at the same time. For one group it was day, and for the other it was night. Each Lobster was kept in their own compartment, made from recycled plastic bottles. From September to December, measurements were taken of the lobsters’ weight and length, as well as the weight of how much food they were eating.

Nathaniel Poulton-Roberts is a third year Marine Biology student at the University of Hull. As part of his third-year dissertation, he is investigating how daytime or nighttime feeding affects the growth of juvenile lobsters. To do this, he has partnered with Whitby Lobster Hatchery

An experiment tank set-up was constructed in Whitby with two sets of tanks, one under a normal daylight cycle, and another surrounded by blackout blinds under a reversed cycle, dark during the day, light at night.

Whilst research shows that European Lobsters feed during the night, when they are more active, it has not been tested whether lobsters in a hatchery, where food is provided not searched for, would also feed more at night. This research will help determine whether feeding time plays a significant role in lobster feeding at a hatchery. The findings may contribute to enhancing lobster hatchery practices and improving juvenile growth and survival.