Mystery Illness Killing Lobsters

The shellfish that is the very symbol of Maine is in trouble, with dozens of lobsters hauled up each day dead or dying from an illness that has researchers baffled. The cause and even the extent of the deaths are unclear, though researchers say some kind of bacteria is the primary suspect. Researchers are conducting tests and asking lobstermen in the nation’s No. 1 lobster-producing state to come forward with more details to build a clear picture. Robert Bayer, director of the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute, said the disease poses no threat to people.