California Sea Grant College Program

The goal of this research was to characterize the shelter preferences, home ranges, site fidelity and movement patterns of spiny lobsters in the Point Loma kelp beds in San Diego. Biologists examined changes in these behaviors for lobsters placed in shelters with and without conspecifics (other lobsters). They also compared movement patterns for lobsters living in areas with relatively low and high risk of predation by large fishes such as sheephead, black sea bass and kelp bass.