Spiny Lobster Research Reported In Journal Nature

A study of spiny lobsters conducted by researchers at Old Dominion and Virginia Institute of Marine Science shows for the first time that animals in the wild shun their neighbors who have contracted an infectious disease.

The researchers reported in the May 25 issue of the journal, Nature, that avoidance begins even before an infected lobster shows symptoms of the disease. The article was written by Mark Butler, ODU professor of biological sciences; Donald Behringer, ODU research associate; and Jeffrey Shields of VIMS.

According to the authors, the lobsters probably are prompted by their sense of smell to avoid infected creatures, and the tactic may limit disease transmission.

The scientists, who obtained the National Science Foundation grant that funded their research, have studied viral disease in Caribbean spiny lobsters more than five years.