The Maine Lobster's Natural Habitat

The Atlantic lobster, Homarus americanus, lives in the northwest Atlantic from Newfoundland to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Also known as the American lobster or Maine lobster, their habitat ranges from the shallow, coastal regions to the continental shelf edge.

  1. Nursery Grounds

    • Waters shallower than 20 inches can provide a home for lobster nurseries. Young lobsters use coarse sediments, gravel, cobble and rocky shorelines near island margins and estuaries for shelter to avoid predators. Lobsters with a carapace, or hard shell, length of less than 1.5 inches can hide in vegetation root mats that provide food and shelter such as those found in Cape Cod.

    Juveniles

    • According to the University of Maine, the intertidal zone provides shelter for both shelter-restricted juveniles and vagile juveniles that move about on the bedrock base. Rock and boulder overlays offer protection from predators.

    Adolescent and Adult Lobsters

    • Habitats for adolescent lobsters measuring 1.5 to 3.5 inches in carapace length include coastal and offshore areas. In the continental shelf area, submarine canyons with a depth of 700 meters or 40 fathoms are home to adolescent and adult lobsters, as well as egg-bearing females. Larger lobsters can seasonally migrate from the deep water to shallow waters in the warmer months.

      Around harbors and estuaries, lobsters can excavate mud burrows 24 to 32 inches deep and shelter themselves by closing the opening with debris and sediment. Lobsters can winter in mud substrates for months at a time.