A novel method for quantifying the attractiveness of lobster trap baits

We developed a new method for quantifying the attractiveness of bait in traps used for crustacean fisheries by using accelerometers in bait containers to assess the amount of time animals spend interacting with the baits. We validated our approach in the laboratory by using time-lapse video recordings to verify that the accelerometry data accurately reflected when, and how much, American lobsters (Homarus americanus) interacted with bait. We then conducted a field experiment comparing traps baited with traditional herring, crushed green crabs (Carcinus maenas), or an inert control. We found that during 48-h trap sets, the number of minutes in which the accelerometers recorded movements of the bait bags was correlated with lobster catch. Although the traps baited with herring did not catch significantly more lobsters than traps baited with crushed green crabs, the accelerometer data revealed differences in bait attractiveness over time. Lobsters interacted less with the green crab bait on the second day of the set, while no such decline was observed with the herring bait. This technique is inexpensive, easy to use, and the data obtained can be more rapidly analyzed than the video data traditionally used for these types of studies, making it well suited for future work on bait choice and attractiveness. •Accelerometers in bait containers give reliable measures of bait attractiveness.•Using accelerometers is cheaper and faster than using video data.•Both field and lab studies can use the accelerometer methods.•Accelerometer data can say more about bait performance than trap CPUE alone.