Yale University

Carmela Cuomo discusses the possible causes of the spectacular dieoff of the American Lobster in Long Island Sound, and the consequent collapse of the lobster harvesting industry, in 1999. The cause is the subject of much debate, and is probably the result of a number of factors including warming ocean currents, pollution, and invasive species. The oceanographic and geological structure of the Sound, together with its temperate climae and proximity to one of the most developed metropolitan areas in the world, make it an ideal laboratory to study the complex effects of global change at a local level.