DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL RNA (ERNA) TOOLS TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL WILD SEED RECRUITMENT FOR BLUE MUSSEL AQUACULTURE

Our overarching goal is to work with mussel farmers to develop, test, and implement cutting-edge environmental RNA (eRNA) toolkits that will transform blue mussel farmers' ability to accurately monitor live mussel seed in the water column in near-real-time. Our integrated research, extension, and education program will be accomplished through the following objectives:Objective 1: Build upon our preliminary work to develop rapid and user-friendly environmental RNA (eRNA) assays designed to detect live mussel larvae in water samplesObjective 2: Partner with Maine's mussel farmers to collect commercially relevant samples and to test the efficacy and ease of use of these assays on operational mussel farmsObjective 3: Disseminate our resulting methods, sampling kits, assays, and early data to the U.S.shellfish aquaculture community to facilitate their immediate use