Shellfish Disease Monitoring and Research
The WHOI Sea Grant Marine Extension team conducts a number of programs to monitor for diseases in shellfish and respond to disease events. Veterinary diseases of oysters and clams can cause direct economic losses to shellfisheries. Farmed shellfish alone are valued at $32.6 million, with wild harvest adding tens of millions more in value to the state. Since 2012, the program's stable surveillance of shellfish diseases and education for farmers has generated sustained economic benefits for commercial, recreational, wild, and aquaculture-based harvests.