North Cape Oil Spill Restoration

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Ocean Technology Foundation

Lobster Restoration Program

Highlights

Coordinated the v-notching of 1.24 million legal sized female lobsters

the commercial fishing industry

that the best approach to 

accomplish this project was to use 

trained observers and fishermen to

capture and release v-notch 

lobsters. Lobster fishermen that 

were involved in the program were

paid for each lobster they vnotched and returned to the ocean. 

Restoration was conducted as far 

as 60 miles offshore and 30 miles 

east towards Martha’s Vineyard. An OTF observer v-notches a lobst

on-board a commercial vessel.

Background

In January 1996, a 340-foot oil barge, the 

North Cape, ran aground off Moonstone 

Beach, Rhode Island after its tugboat 

caught fire during a severe winter storm. 

As a result, over 828,000 gallons of home

heating oil spilled into local waters killing

millions of surf clams, fish, birds and other 

organisms. An estimated 9 million lobsters 

were killed as a result of the spill.

USFWS

Restoring Lobsters

Over the past six years the responsible 

party funded a large-scale program to 

restore the lobsters injured by the oil 

spill. Individual lobsters were marked

with a v-shaped notch in their tail. 

Notched lobsters are then protected by

law and cannot be legally harvested until 

they molt, or change their shell, and the 

v-notch disappears. With this protection,

the reproductive lives of the lobsters are 

extended. 

On January 19, 1996, the Tug Scandia and

barge North Cape ran aground, spilling

828,000 gallons of home heating oil.

The Ocean Technology Foundation 

(OTF) was hired by the RP to manage 

the restoration effort and jointly

determined with DEM, NOAA, and 

Trained observers were assigned 

to lobster boats to accompany 

fishermen on their trips. As

female lobsters were captured, 

they were inspected to determine 

eligibility, v-notched and

released at their capture location. 

While onboard, observers also 

recorded recapture information 

of previously v-notched lobsters.

A rigorous monitoring program

was also established to closely 

document the numbers of 

animals notched, their locations, 

and their health.

Increased Egg production

A v-notched lobster is a future

egger! That’s the motto of the 

North Cape Lobster Restoration 

Program. By prolonging harvest of 

female lobsters for two additional 

years (the approximate time it takes 

to lose their v-notch), the females 

are allowed another chance to 

reproduce. The success of the vnotch program is evident by the 

number of previously v-notched 

lobsters bearing eggs upon

recapture. 

Conducted restoration from western Rhode Island to southern 

Massachusetts.

Increased lobster egg abundance in southern New England waters.

A previously vnotched female 

lobster is 

recaptured carr

eggs. Without t

v-notch, this lob

could have been 

harvested befor

having the chan

to reproduce ag

OTF

Under the terms of the consent decree, 

the RP was required to v-notch and

release 1.24 million legal size female

lobsters. These 1.24 million v-notched

lobsters will produce an estimated 23 

billion eggs which will yield the 9

million lobsters lost by the spill

Methods
Catch per Trap Haul of Eggers with and w/o V-Notch Program

Courtesy of Rhode Island DEM

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 

Year

No. per Haul

With V-notch w/o V-notch

tagged is recaptured the tag is not removed from the lobster. 

Instead the date, location of recapture, size of the lobster, shell 

condition and whether or not that lobster is carrying eggs or not i

recorded. This recapture information gives scientists and 

managers valuable information such as migration patterns and 

survival of the animal. This type of information will help increas

our understanding of lobsters and help ensure a strong lobster 

fishery in the future.

Achievements

Recapture data from v-notched lobsters is

demonstrating that many of the animals are 

reproducing, evident by the high number of vnotched lobsters bearing eggs upon recapture. 

In the graph to the right, scientists from Rhode 

Island DEM compared the contribution of egg 

bearing females in the lobster population with a 

v-notch (blue line) to lobsters without a v-notch 

(red line). Lobster fishermen and marine 

resource managers recognize the significant

contributions being made by this restoration 

program to the future of the lobster fishery.

Scientific Assessment

of the Lobsters

To track movement and determine survival

rates of the v-notched lobsters, the Ocean 

Technology Foundation, NOAA and DEM

cooperated to complete a successful tagging

project that was conducted in conjunction

with the v-notch program. A percentage of 

the notched lobsters was also equipped with

a special tag which identified that 

individual lobster. Over 35,000 individual

lobsters have been equipped with tags from

2003 to 2006. 

Start of v-notch

program in 2000

When the lobster is released, the size, 

location and date of capture are 

recorded. When a lobster that has been

A lobster is captured and given a unique 

identification number. When the lobster is 

recaptured, biologists can track the 

movement of the lobster, as well as gain 

other valuable data. The green rubber bands

are removed before release. 

Tank Studies

NOAA, RIDEM, and OTF also conducted scientific

experiments to test

the effect that vnotches had on

lobsters, and to try to

determine how long

the legal v-notch 

lasts after the initial 

notch takes place. 

Preliminary analysis 

of the experiment

shows no increased 

mortality from vnotching and no

increase in the 

likelihood of shell 

disease from notched 

lobsters. 

NOAA

Lobsters are held in tanks at the RIDEM 

wet lab in Jamestown, RI to perform vnotch experiments.

Our Thanks

NOAA, RIDEM, USFWS, and OTF would like to thank the 

community for their support of this effort. Particularly, we 

would like to thank the men and women of the commercial 

lobster fishery.

For more information, contact:

Bryan DeAngelis, NOAA: Bryan.DeAngelis@NOAA.gov; 401-782-3337; Ted Colburn, OTF: w.colburn@snet.net; 860-405-11

Tom Angell, RIDEM: Thomas.Angell@dem.ri.gov; 401-423-1931; John Catena, NOAA: john.catena@noaa.gov; 978-281-9251