Maine’s UNE Marine Science Center Home to Rare Lobster

Editor's Note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England radio personality and may contain the individual's views, opinions or personal experiences.

The University of New England’s Marine Science Center in Biddeford, Maine, has done it again. They are the proud keepers of another super-rare lobster.

This lobster has its color split right down the middle. Amazing!

Back in February, UNE became home to a one-in-30 million rare yellow lobster which was named Banana. Finding a split-colored lobster is even rarer; one-in-50 million! Shouldn't Banana's new roommate be called Banana Split? 

The split-colored lobster came to UNE late last week thanks to a donation by Eric Payne from Inland Seafood Corporation.

The half-orange, half-brown lobster is considered to be a one-in-50 million catch. By comparison, Blue lobsters are one-in-two million.

Albino lobsters are the rarest at one-in-100 million.

From UNE: 

“We are honored that local lobstermen entrust these rare animals to UNE’s Marine Science Center where we will use them in our teaching and outreach activities,” said Markus Frederich, Ph.D., assistant professor of marine sciences. “Our research on lobsters and climate change, funded by the National Science Foundation, highlights the importance of these charismatic creatures.” 

The University of New England is sharing an $860,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, and Hood College in Maryland to study the impact that a warming Gulf of Maine is having on lobster larvae and their success in growing to adulthood.