The early life of a European lobster begins as tiny, translucent larvae that hatch and enter three fragile "zoeal" stages. During this period, they are entirely pelagic, floating freely in specialised incubators that provide gentle water circulation to keep them suspended. The most critical milestone is the fourth stage, where the larvae undergo a dramatic transformation, developing the iconic claws and swimming strength of an adult. Known as the "settling" or floating stage, this is the moment the lobster instinctively prepares to move from the open water to the seabed. In the farm, this transition marks the vital point where each lobster is moved into an individual compartment to protect it from its own territorial instincts.
The birth of a seafood superstar
The first life stages
The first stage
The second stage
The third stage
The fourth stage
Moving out
Once the lobsters transition from their larval stages, they enter the intensive on-growing phase, where the focus shifts to individual care and precision nurturing. In this stage, each lobster resides in its own dedicated compartment to ensure safety and eliminate competition, allowing the farm's specialists to monitor their development with extreme detail. Unlike the automated systems used for bulk biomass, these lobsters are carefully managed to ensure they receive a specialized, high-protein diet tailored to their specific growth cycle and molting frequency. This "nursery" approach guarantees that every individual remains healthy and stress-free, providing the stable conditions necessary for them to develop the robust shells and succulent meat that define the premium BabyBlue™ quality.
Bigger houses, and a robotic butler
Following the intensive nurturing phase, the lobsters are transitioned into a cutting-edge, fully automated production rig designed to manage the final journey to harvest at an industrial scale. At this stage, the human element is replaced by advanced robotics and artificial intelligence to ensure total environmental stability and precision. Each lobster is housed in an individual compartment within a massive, modular vertical system where a feeding robot delivers a scientifically optimised diet directly to each compartment. This automated rig uses a sophisticated computer vision system to monitor every lobster in real-time, tracking growth rates and shell condition to determine the exact moment they reach the "BabyBlue" peak. This seamless integration of technology allows the farm to scale production to thousands of units while maintaining the uncompromising quality and traceability required for the world's finest restaurants.
