2 days ago By Clarke Canfield

After years of guessing, scientists have now found a definitive method of determining a lobster’s real age.

PORTLAND, Maine — For the first time, scientists have figured out how to determine the age of a lobster — by counting its rings, like a tree.

Nobody knows how old lobsters can live to be; some people estimate they live to more than 100.

But knowing — rather than simply guessing — their age and that of other shellfish could help scientists better understand the population and assist regulators of the lucrative industry, said Raouf Kilada, a research associate at the University of New Brunswick who was the lead author of a scientific paper documenting the process.

Before now, scientists deduced a lobster’s age judging by size and other variables. But it’s now known that lobsters and other crustaceans, such as crabs and shrimp, grow one ring per year in hidden-away internal spots, Kilada said.

“Having the age information for any commercial species will definitely improve the stock assessment and ensure sustainability,” he said after presenting his findings Thursday at a scientific conference in Portland. CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE ARTICLE