Although scientists have observed female lobsters shedding full complements of healthy eggs in the laboratory, it is interesting to learn that this also occurs in nature. As far as I know, there are no available data on the frequency of occurrence of female lobsters shedding their broods. However, data exist on individual females observed to molt while carrying viable eggs. The general problem that lobsters face is that in order to reproduce successfully, female lobsters must brood their eggs between molting events. The mechanisms that control the coordination and reconciliation of molting and reproduction are unknown.
Lobsters continue to grow throughout their lives.
The time interval between successive molts is greater for larger females. It is therefore highly unlikely that a large female will molt while brooding. Observations on the timing of molting and spawning events offer clues to relative contributions to egg production. Female lobsters at the smaller end of the maturity spectrum take one of two courses of action. They either molt early in the summer and spawn in the fall, or they molt in the fall and spawn the following summer.