THE "100 LOBSTERS" PROJECT: A COOPERATIVE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR HEALTH ASSESSMENTS OF LOBSTERS FROM RHODE ISLAND

The emergence of epizootic shell disease in the American lobster (Homarus americanus) has been devastating to the fishing industry in southern New England. In response, research was initiated to understand the roles of the environment, pathogens, and pollutants in the ecology and etiology of the disease. A comprehensive project was initiated in which tissues and hemolymph from 100 lobsters were collected from an endemic area of disease, Narragansett Bay, RI. The project has moved forward with the purpose of compiling, synthesizing, and propagating the findings from the "100 Lobsters" Project. The resulting tissue bank and Web-based data repository and instructional tools serve as a nascent demonstration project to both the scientific community working on this disease as well as to members of the lobster industry.