Based on a review of the scientific literature, most of the research involving lobsters in the last century has focused on mortality tests. Hundreds, if not thousands, of lobsters have been killed over the years in every conceivable combination of fatal experimental conditions. Temperature Without a doubt, temperature is the factor which exerts the most control on all other responses. Lobster larvae have a much lower tolerance for temperatures than adults. Temperature at hatching is even more restricted.
Males seem to be able to tolerate lower estuarine salinity better than females.
At a salinity of 11.6 ppt, very few Stage I larvae survive longer than 24 hours and none molt. No stage III or IV larvae survived salinity s below 12.5 ppt. No larval molting occurred beyond a salinity of approx. Larval lobsters appear twice as sensitive as juveniles and adults to reduced levels of dissolved oxygen. The 'entrance' tunnel is usually a crater like, or wide-mouthed, depression with a mound of sediment at one end.