Standing on Wells harbour quayside you will experience a vibrant fishing port: colourful trays stacked ready for the next fish catch, the sounds of the fishing boat engines as they enter and leave the port, fishers talking about the day’s catch, the lobster and crab pots, and visitors trying their hand at crabbing. To the right is a new addition to the fishing community, a lobster hatchery.
Have you ever wondered how lobsters reproduce? We hadn’t until we visited the lobster hatchery in Wells and spoke to Simon Cooper from the Harbour Office. In this sonic postcard you can hear some of the sounds from the hatchery, as Simon explains the amazing life cycle of lobsters. How many eggs does a lobster lay? Why are baby lobsters kept in separate cells? What does a lobster hatchery sound like? How big can a lobster grow? Lobster Catch answers these questions and explores why the Harbour Commission started the lobster hatchery.
Kim Hammond and Chris Bonfiglioli
Return to Sounding Out Wells
Credits
With thanks to our speakers, (in order of appearance):
Robert Smith MBE: The Harbour Master, Wells-next-the-Sea
Simon Cooper: Harbour Administrator, Wells Harbour Office
Kim Hammond: Research Associate, The Open University, Sounding out Wells