Learning Hard Life Lessons Scientists last summer came up with a way to train the young conchs by placing a sacrificial conch in a cage with a lobster, then surrounding the cage with juvenile conchs. The poor conch was decimated while his buddies watched. After about a week of that, the tiny conchs learned to bury themselves, he said. Scientists also discovered the best size to seed the conchs. If we release them any bigger than 3 inches they just sit on the surface and play stupid.
Timing is also crucial.
The lobster population is lowest in the fall after a full season of harvesting. A full moon brings out their predators so the lobsters tend to stay hidden. So the scientists will do the conch seeding during a fall full moon. Keys residents hope the project is successful even if many never agreed with the ban in the first place and some distrust the government's population estimate. The conchs are out there.