Chris Cash, the executive director of the Lobster Institute, displays the sex organs of a male and female lobster Saturday during the Auburn Lobster Festival in Festival Plaza. Cash explains to visitors Maine's conservation efforts, which include determining if a female lobster is carrying eggs, if the females have previously been known to carry eggs, and making sure they are large enough to harvest.
Jen Doucette, left, Tori Doucette and Steph Nadeau pose with a giant lobster Saturday during the Auburn Lobster Festival in Festival Plaza.
Gabrielle Hill, left, and Olivia Becker, center, both first time lobster eaters, compare strategies Saturday for how to eat their complicated meal. The Bates College students, along with Drew von Jako, right, came as a group to the Auburn Lobster Festival in Festival Plaza.
David Muise and his son, Silas, of Poland work on extracting the meat from a lobster Saturday during the Auburn Lobster Festival in Festival Plaza.
Madison Hamner, 10, holds a lobster Saturday as her little brother, Aiden, and stepmother, Maggie, watch during the Auburn Lobster Festival in Festival Plaza. The lobsters were part of an exhibit brought to the festival by The Lobster Institute, a University of Maine project that aims to research and promote the sustainability of the species amid changing environments.
Mark and Andrea Cellini dig into a lobster dinner Saturday during the Auburn Lobster Festival in Festival Plaza.
A Lobster and Street Corn Margarita is offered Saturday from the Roaming Eats food truck during the Auburn Lobster Festival in Festival Plaza. The theme of the festival this year was "Lobsters in Paradise" and featured a Jimmy Buffett cover band.
Nadine Tozier and Carl Hutchinson examine the sex organs of a male and female lobster Saturday at the Lobster Institute tent during the Auburn Lobster Festival in Festival Plaza. The Lobster Institute is a University of Maine project that conducts research and outreach to promote lobster sustainability.
Dorothy Martin and Heidi Welsch, both of Lewiston and self-proclaimed transplants from away, enjoy a respite from the afternoon rain Saturday during the Auburn Lobster Festival in Festival Plaza. Welsch said they are still learning about Maine and came to soak up the local culture.
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