Neustonic postlarval American lobsters, Homarus americanus, in the westernGulf of Maine: spatial and interannual variations

We examined the seasonal abundance of postlarval (PL) (stage IV) American l obsters, Homarus americanus, from neuston samples from 1989 to 1995 at John s Bay, Maine, and Seabrook, New Hampshire, located 150 km apart in the west ern Gulf of Maine. The postlarval season at these sites began between appro ximately days of the year 180 and 210 and ranged from about 35 to 70 days i n duration. Within years, start and end dates were similar for the two site s. Maximum concentrations from single tows exceeded 100 PL.1000 m(-2), but 85% or more of the positive tows had concentrations < 15 PL.1000 m(-2) and more than half had less than or equal to 5 PL.1000 m(-2). These concentrati ons occurred at high levels of the stock, were the source for continued hig h recruitment in the 1990s, and thereby form a benchmark for future measure ments. Only one of the seven years showed a major decline in seasonal abund ance, and it occurred at both sites. Of the remaining years, three had near ly identical integrated abundances at both sites (approximately 200 PL.1000 m(-2).year(-1)). A survey in the western Gulf of Maine caught postlarvae o ut to 56 km offshore at concentrations similar to the coastal samples, indi cating a broadly distributed source of potential recruits to the benthic po pulation.