Many consumers have a choice between buying live lobster at the local supermarket or ordering the lobster online. The choice is really quite simple: pay more and order the lobster online, or pay less and buy the lobster at the local supermarket. The question then might be asked, "What is the benefit of paying more and ordering online?"

The reason for paying more boils down to one simple benefit: meatier lobster that is fresher, more flavorful and succulent.

Did you know that the reason salads in supermarkets manage to have such a long shelf life is because those little sealed bags of salad have pumped air in them - not air exactly as you and I breathe but air with the same elements calibrated to a different ratio and this is what stops the salad from spoiling so quickly. As soon as that container is opened the salad will start to spoil faster.

Lobster is very similar. Do you really want to be buying seafood that 's been artificially kept edible?

Lobster kept in tanks are generally not fed. This quickly leads to atrophy. Additionally, lobsters are loners by nature. They do not school together like fish. When in close proximity to each other, they will fight, often to the death. In a crowded tank environment, there is a great deal of stress put on the lobsters, and this adds to the atrophy. Two weeks in a tank being kept alive without food will cause a lobster to loose nearly half of its meat due to atrophy.

The primary reason it may cost more to buy lobsters online is the cost of overnight shipping. While shipping prices will vary depending upon location, in general it is very expensive. For example, an 8lb. box that measures 12"x15"x18" will cost $90.12 to ship by Federal Express from Portland, Maine to San Francisco, CA. This is a significant expense. The United States Postal Service offers overnight delivery as well, but they will not guarantee delivery to the extent that live lobsters can be insured to be delivered in one day. Federal Express will get the package there in one day, USPS may or may not. If it takes longer than one day, the lobsters may or may not still be alive.

To reduce the cost of shipping, try to find an online lobster and seafood provider that will include shipping charges. Some will do so provided a minimum amount is ordered. Others provide simply to build customer goodwill.

Here are some other guidelines for buying fish and seafood:

If you're buying part of a whole fish, or all of it, take a good look at its eyes, they should be clear and bright, not sunken and cloudy. The gills should be a deep red color and the skin shiny and slippery. If you pick up the fish it should feel firm, not floppy like some old rag doll.

If you're after clams, scallops or mussels, there are two very simple rules to follow. Before cooking, if it's open and doesn't close when tapped sharply don't buy it or cook it. After cooking if it's still shut, don't eat it.

When buying crab or lobster, pick it up, it should feel heavy for it's size.

The third option for buying fish and seafood is frozen food department. This can be a very good alternative to fresh fish. Look for fish that has been 'flash frozen', this means that the fish has been caught and filleted very quickly - possibly at sea, then frozen very quickly thus retaining all the flavor and nutrients. This is almost always a far better option than fish that has been lying around for days in the refrigerator.

It is worthwhile to get to know your seafood vendor; he'll look after you. He will invariably know where the seafood has come from and when it was caught. He can prepare it for you and give you tips and recipes. If you have a special occasion coming up, tell him beforehand and he will be only to happy to fulfill your order.

Thankfully, now that the Internet has is so widely used and readily accessible, buying fish, lobsters and seafood online has never been easier. There are many small, specialized companies online that sell not only fresh fish and seafood but delicacies such as Lobster and Caviar. They deliver excellent seafood either fresh in chilled boxes, frozen or vacuum packed.