Understanding The Ecology of Shellfish and Their Pathogens to Improve Shellfish Management and Production

The overarching goal is to improve production, management and regulation of the shellfish to support the shellfish industry and protect the environment. Several broad objectives are listed below. Specific objectives are or will be tailored to meet the goals of funding agencies where USDA support will be leveraged to address specific problems. The broad objectives are:Study the life history, population dynamics and ecology of shellfish and their pathogens including spatial and temporal relationships with environmental correlates.Identify and examine the ecological processes that control human pathogen accumulation in shellfish.Develop and implement monitoring and surveillance programs for shellfish.Develop and evaluate shellfish restoration and enhancement programs