Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) Lobster Reef Culture Team

  The Reef Ball Foundation has developed a Reef Culture system for Spiny Lobster that integrates traditional Spiny Lobster larval collectors with a special style of Reef Ball that is best described as a 'Layer Cake' Reef ball with smaller layers at the top and larger layers at the bottom.  It has a feeding tube (PVC pipe with holes) vertically through the center with a floating Spiny Lobster Larval Collector (see photo below).  The collector settles the larval then provides a "ladder" [not shown in pictures below]  to get them down to the Layer Cake Reef Ball, it is designed to protect lobster from shark, ell and octopus by having smaller outside openings than inside void space and being 360 degrees so the lobsters can defend the territory. In Antigua, the larval settlers worked great when placed nearshore.  The lobster fishermen can carry a pipe and funnel to add sinking pelletized catfish food (or any other lobster food) and add it to the center PVC pipe to increase lobster growth rates.

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Traditional Larval Lobster Collector 

Typical "LobsterCulture" modular base to which food can be added to the center from the surface and the larval lobster collectors are attached to the top along with pathways to the module.


(Barge of Lobsterculture Style Reef Balls)


(Top layers are very tiny on the outside, larger inside, to protect small lobster fry)

(Unit showing feeding tube at top, note how levels get larger as one approached the bottom of the unit)

(Interior PVC pipe for feeding lobsters)

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Need more information? Contact us:


John Walch
Coral Team Co-Leader
john@reefball.com 


Marjo Van Der Bulck
Coral Team Co-Leader
marjo@reefball.com

 
Sara Cirelli
Red Mangrove Team Co-Leader
sara@reefball.com

Reef Ball Foundation, Inc., 
Volunteer Services Division

Georgia Office (Kathy Kirbo)
603 River Overlook Rd.
Woodstock, GA 30188 USA
Atlanta, GA 30188
770 752-0202

Florida Office (Todd Barber)
6916 22nd Street West
Bradenton, FL 34207
941 720-7549

Arizona Office (John Walch/Ocean Worlds)
15042 North Moon Valley Drive
Phoenix, AZ 85022
602-548-8697

 


 

Todd Barber, Division Chair
reefball@reefball.com
 


Kathy Kirbo,
Executive Director
kathy@reefball.com
  

RBDG


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Other Valuable Internal Reef Ball Links

            -Coral Reef Transplant Notes
            -Identified Hard Coral Diseases (The Coral Disease Page) offline