lobster and maine: boom or bust?

Route 1, Maine (photo credit: HY)

It's nearly impossible to drive through Maine and not being reminded of its most well known industry. Side road lobster shacks, piers with stacks of lobster trap, and eye-catching decorations (see balloon above). According to Bloomberg, about 80% of American-caught lobster comes from Maine. Last year, Smithsonian examined how different factors, including climate change, contributed to a lobster boom in Maine. This past summer, New York Times highlighted how the warming water can also bring about a bust, and discussed conservation practices by the industry.