Postlarval lobsters swim, exploring the seafloor seeking shelter, and may delay settlement until finding suitable shelter (usually in spaces amongst cobbles). Cobble habitat, however, is patchy in distribution, particularly in the muddy Bay of Fundy. Prolonged swimming may impact growth, energy stores, and survival. This, in turn, could promote settlement onto mud where lobsters must construct their own shelter. In the laboratory, I am observing settlement time over cobble, mud, and sand, to see how long lobsters delay settlement over each substrate. I am also comparing time to moult, growth increment and after moult, lipid profile, and survival on each substrate to identify the costs of settling onto each substrate. In Mace's Bay, Bay of Fundy, I have deployed cobble-filled cages ("collectors") onto muddy seafloor. The collectors represent superior habitat to the surrounding mud. If young lobsters do exploit muddy seafloor as a secondary settlement habitat, they may colonize collectors where their presence can be confirmed.