Climate Change Is Creating Cannibal Lobsters

What happens when warming waters cause the population of one species to boom at the expense of nearly all the others? Cannibal lobsters, apparently.

In Maine, says Mother Jones, climate change is making lobsters grow and grow. People have over-fished lobsters’ predators, so there’s little to stop the clawed critters from climbing to the top of the local food chain. But that food chain is a short one and now is pretty much just made up of other lobsters.

So with empty bellies and nothing to snack on, the lobsters are turning on each other. Climate Desk has put together a fun video (above) showing the dark side of the lobster boom—and the very real problems that climate change has in store for America’s lobster fishers.

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Colin Schultz | | READ MORE

Colin Schultz is a freelance science writer and editor based in Toronto, Canada. He blogs for Smart News and contributes to the American Geophysical Union. He has a B.Sc. in physical science and philosophy, and a M.A. in journalism.