Lobsters used to make eco-golf balls

Shells from Maine's signature seafood are being used to make decorative tiles, trivets and drinking-glass coasters. Work is under way to utilise them in countertops and tabletops.

And at the University of Maine, a professor has developed a biodegradable golf ball whose core is made of ground-up lobster shells.

Professor David Neivandt says the golf balls are intended for use on cruise ships or at driving ranges on lakes or the ocean, where golfers would drive them into the water.

The university has filed a patent for the lobster-shell mixture and Neivandt is hopeful a private company will buy the licensing rights and market the ball.