Investigations related to the effects of shifting ocean variables (like temperature and circulation) on lobster life cycles, migration patterns, stock structure, and interactions with predators.

Projects focused on standardizing and/or synthesizing disparate, existing data sets so that they are usable and integrated (comparing apples to apples). 

Projects focused on increasing the geographic and bathymetric coverage of both fisheries-dependent and independent data to better track trends in a rapidly changing ocean.

Assessments of the ability of independent owner-operators and coastal communities to navigate abrupt changes in economic conditions, fluctuating costs, and regulatory changes, while piloting innovations in marketing and product utilization.

Efforts to test and quantify the efficacy of innovative or untested conservation and/or stewardship measures, such as gear modifications, v-notching, or trap limits, to inform future management and ensure long-term stock sustainability.