A rare one-in-a-million lobster was caught off the coast of New Hampshire, leaving the fisherman who pulled it out of the water in shock.

Joseph Kramer, 25, was working in New Castle when he pulled in a stunning ‘cotton candy lobster’ with a unique blue, pink and purple outer shell.

The crustacean’s iridescent coloring was either caused by a genetic mutation or its diet, but the different shades also make it a target for predators. 

Rather than risk the lobster turning into someone’s dinner or being killed by releasing it back into the sea, Kramer handed it over to the non-profit organization Seacoast Science Center where the crustacean could live out its life. 

A lobster’s diet can influence its coloring, resulting in a rare and unique blue, pink and purple genetic mutation that makes it a target for other predators because it can’t blend into its surroundings

Kramer, the owner of the Atlantic Lobster Company, called it a ‘once-in-a-lifetime feeling’ after he found the cotton candy lobster in the last of his 20 traps while on his boat with his father and girlfriend on Sunday. 

He initially thought it was a one-in-two-million blue crab, but he was later told by the Seacoast Science Center that it was a rare cotton candy lobster.

‘This one has a really beautiful kind of a lavender, purple, pink-ish hue to it that puts it right in the cotton candy category,’ Sam Rutka, an Aquarist II at Seacoast Science Center told Seacoastonline.

Lobsters have layers of red, yellow and blue carotenoid pigments that are produced by plants and algae that give the crustacean its hue, making them look brown to the human eye.

However, when these pigments over or under-develop they can result in several types of brightly colored lobsters like the one-in-10 red lobster, one-in-50-million two-toned and the one-in-100-million albino.

The crustaceans get these pigments from an antioxidant called astaxanthin – a type of red coloring – that when mixed with the carotenoids, gives off the typical brown hue.

Their coloring turns to red when the lobster is cooked because the heat releases the antioxidant compounds.

The drastic change in the cotton candy lobster’s coloration may come from it having unusually low astaxanthin levels from feeding on a different diet of bait fish, rather than the typical diet of crab and shrimp which are rich in the compound

The Seacoast Science Center reported that it hopes to display the cotton candy lobster at its facility in Rye, New Hampshire within the next two to three weeks

But the drastic change in the cotton candy lobster’s coloration may come from it having unusually low astaxanthin levels from feeding on a different diet of bait fish, rather than the typical diet of crab and shrimp which are rich in the compound.

‘Genetic mutations are a normal part of nature,’ Rutka told Seacoastonline.

‘These animals, because of mutation, are expressing different color genes in their shells, so that actually makes them more able to be predated upon.

‘It’s also rare because it’s more easily spotted by predators, so that increases the rarity of finding one because it means no one else has found it yet to eat it.’

The Seacoast Science Center reported that it hopes to display the cotton candy lobster at its facility in Rye, New Hampshire within the next two to three weeks.

In the meantime, the facility has placed the crustacean in a quarantine tank to allow it to acclimate to its new environment after its capture.

‘I think it is definitely the only one I will ever catch, maybe even the only one I will ever see again in my lifetime,’ Kramer told Seacoastonline.

‘I’m over the moon about catching it, and letting it be seen by everyone at the Science Center makes it even better.

‘Knowing that it will spend its time in safety I think is the best place for it to be kept and preserved.’

ST. PAUL — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will be in New Hampshire this weekend on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.

A Walz adviser says the governor will appear at organizing kickoffs and smaller-scale rallies in New Hampshire on Sunday, Aug. 4. He is no stranger in New Hampshire. He was in the Granite State for a Democratic fundraiser earlier this year.

Harris has picked up on Walz’s choice of the word “weird” to describe the Donald Trump-JD Vance GOP ticket. And speculation continues to mount over whether Harris will ask Walz to join the Democratic ticket as her vice presidential running mate.

Walz has been a frequent guest on national news programs in recent days. And former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears to be Walz fan. A source familiar with the California Democrat’s thinking told The Hill she “is always especially fond of former House colleagues” when asked about Harris’ running mate, a nod to Walz.

In public remarks Thursday after an unrelated press conference, Walz didn’t acknowledge being in the final mix. But he said it’s been surreal being part of a shortlist of candidates considered. He avoided questions about whether Harris’ campaign is vetting him for the post or requesting an interview.

“I’m not interviewing for anything, I’m just am who I am and put it out there,” Walz said. “I think that’s a decision that needs to be made by the vice president, and she will make it [based] on what she sees.”

Walz, a two-term governor and former six-term congressman, is said to be among a group of Democratic governors, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, in the running. Harris’ campaign is also considering U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.

Harris is expected to announce her pick for vice president in the next few days.

MPR News political reporter Dana Ferguson contributed to this report.

Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill Friday that bans certain products with intentionally added PFAS from sale in the state starting in 2027 and creates strict liability for PFAS polluters.

He vetoed another measure that would have created liability for PFAS facilities, citing its “broad” definition and the fact that its standard for chemical concentrations that would trigger regulatory action contradicted the other bill he signed. The standard of the vetoed bill was significantly stricter.

PFAS – or or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are linked to a number of health problems, including some cancers, weakened immune systems, high cholesterol, development issues, and more. They are commonly used in industrial and consumer products for their stain- and water-resistant properties.

Sen. Denise Ricciardi, a Bedford Republican who worked on the liability portion of the signed measure, House Bill 1649, called it a “landmark bill” that was “long, long overdue.”

The bill creates a right to civil action for certain PFAS contamination. It also holds facilities “strictly liable” to the state “for containment, cleanup, restoration, or other remediation related to the release or threatened release of hazardous waste or hazardous material in accordance with applicable law and departmental rules.”

Rep. Karen Ebel, a New London Democrat who was the prime sponsor, said she was “ecstatic” for this moment of progress for the state.

“This is a huge step forward for the people of New Hampshire,” she said. “Our state has been burdened so much by PFAS contamination, especially in the southern part of the state. And there really isn’t any way … to effectively tackle the problem if we don’t stop using these dangerous forever chemicals in our products.”

The law bans a number of products with intentionally added PFAS but does not include those with accidental contamination that may happen during the production or shipping processes. The ban will include:

• Carpets or rugs;
• Cosmetics;
• Textile treatments, such as those that add PFAS for stain- or water-resistant properties;
• Feminine hygiene products, such as tampons and pads;
• Food packaging and containers, such as plates, bowls, and bags;
• Products for children under 12, such as high chairs, playmats, and strollers;
• Upholstered furniture; and
• Textile furnishings, such as draperies, bedding, and towels.

The ban exempts medical devices, adult mattresses, personal computers, wireless phones, and some other electronics. It also allows products with at least 85 percent recycled content, the resale of products made before the ban, and replacement parts for products manufactured before 2027.

The bill includes an appropriation of $250,000 to the Department of Environmental Services for “expenses associated with the PFAS restrictions on consumer products.”

The vetoed bill, House Bill 1415, would have held liable PFAS facilities that release such chemicals into the groundwater or surface water in total combined concentrations of 100 parts per trillion or greater. The standard created by the signed bill was much less strict, at 10,000 parts per trillion. 

“This contrary language makes it extremely difficult to administer both and enforce them appropriately,” Sununu wrote. 

He added: “It is extremely important to hold appropriate parties accountable for their actions, but this legislation misses the mark.”

The sponsor of that bill, Rep. Nancy Murphy, a Merrimack Democrat, said she was glad the PFAS products bill was signed, calling it a “good first step,” though one that “greatly needs to be improved.”

On the veto, she said she was “very disappointed” but “not at all surprised.” “Legislation that is less protective of the environment and public health leaves NH citizen taxpayers holding the bag,” she said.

“We don’t have lobbyists at the State House protecting our best interests,” she said. “… That’s our job as state reps, and it’s unfortunate when paid lobbyists for polluters are heard, their voices are heard above that of actual constituents and the people that the government is supposed to be working for.”