Seismic Testing on Lobsters

 Seismic blasting air guns can shear off hair cells in adult rock lobsters. The loss of hair cells

can affect the coordination of the rock lobsters. This is measured by testing the “righting

reflex”, which is a test in which a rock lobster is flipped on its back and the time that is

required for the rock lobster to right itself is measured. Studies has shown seismic blasts

increase the time taken to enact their righting reflex by 80-157%.


Studies detected that the intervals between moulting increases in lobsters exposed to

seismic blasts, increasing from between 16 and 18 days to between 23 and 30 days, which

may result in a slowing of their overall growth rates. 


Their normal moulting usually occurs when predators are less likely to be in their area, so

the delayed moulting exposes the rock lobsters to a greater risk to predators, just as their

new shells are hardening. 


The environment plan does not appear to adequately assess the long-term impacts of

seismic testing on rock lobster populations and therefore any discussion of risk management

strategies is inadequate and incomplete.

Written by Tim Hawthorne

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