Artificial shelters were deployed in the shallow waters of Massachusetts Bay in an attempt to stabilize and increase lobster catches. Shelters constructed with concrete-filled tires proved to be well suited for small-scale ranching operations. Only two people were needed to make and deploy the shelters, and the capital costs were low. The animals quickly occupied shelters on sandy bottoms but not on rocky ones, and when fish wastes were provided as food in the former habitats, an increase was noted in trap captures. However, stable populations could not be maintained in the experimental areas for the lobsters were found to be continually moving. In October and November a general offshore trend was noted and tagged lobsters moved from a depth of 10 m to approximately 20 m.
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