Maine is known for its lobster. Now there’s a new twist. Students from the University of Maine have created what is perhaps the world’s first biodegradable golf ball from – wait for it it – lobster! Or rather from lobster shells.

Creative minds have been coming up with a number of uses for what has normally a troublesome waste product. Created by Chemical Engineering Professor David Neivandt and undergraduate student Alex Caddell, along with a scientist and a university alumna via UMaine’s appropriately-named The Lobster Institute, these innovative golf balls are made with crushed lobster shells that are combined with a biodegradable binder and coating. Being biodegradable allows these golf balls to be less expensive than traditional ones – costing about 19 cents each versus slightly less than $1 each.

Designed to sink and degrade within weeks, depending on the water’s depth and temperature, these fascinating golf balls could well be used for cruise ships and any other venue that uses water as its playing field, These balls don’t quite give the same performance of traditional golf balls, but seem to offer similar results as other biodegradable balls. So golf to your heart’s content – and know you’re doing something good for the planet too!