**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE GREEN SEA URCHIN (GSU), IS AN ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT EMERGING AQUACULTURE SPECIES IN THE NORTHEASTERN US, IT'S EDIBLE GONAD, IS KNOWN AS ROE OR UNI.GSU AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION BY SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED PRODUCERS ORIENTATE THEIR PRACTICES AND TIMINGS AROUND GONAD DEVELOPMENT STAGES DURING GROWTH. FOR EXAMPLE, GSUS ARE HARVESTED FOR THE MARKET WHEN THE GONADS ARE AT EARLY DEVELOPMENT STAGES OF PRODUCING EGGS, A TIME WHEN THEY ARE LARGE, BRIGHTLY COLORED AND FIRM, CHARACTERISTICS WHICH ARE APPEALING FOR SEAFOOD CONSUMERS. HOWEVER, WHEN THE ANIMALS CAN BE REPRODUCED TO SUPPORT AQUACULTURE IN A HATCHERY DURING LATER GONAD DEVELOPMENT STAGES, THEY DO NOT SHOW THESE MARKETABLE CHARACTERISTICS MAKING THEM UNMARKETABLE. HARVESTING AND AQUACULTURE REPRODUCTIVE WORK AT PRESENT FOLLOWS TRADITIONAL TIMINGS ESTABLISHED FROM SURVEYS CONDUCTED UP TO 40 YEARS AGO, BUT PRODUCERS HAVE RECENTLY REPORTED POTENTIAL EARLIER SHIFTS OF REPRODUCTION OCCURRING AND AN OVERLAP WITH THE TRADITIONAL HARVESTING PERIOD RESULTING IN LOST ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, THIS PROJECT WILL CONDUCT REGULAR SAMPLING OF GSUS TO MEASURE AND CONFIRM CURRENT IDEAL HARVESTING AND REPRODUCTIVE TIMINGS. THIS WILL BE COMPARED AGAINST HISTORICAL AND TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION TIMING TO IDENTIFY WHETHER THERE ARE CHANGES IN THE IDEAL HARVESTING AND REPRODUCTIVE TIMINGS. IT WILL ALSO WORK TOWARDS IDENTIFYING THE CAUSES OF THESE SHIFTS IN TIMING (E.G. CLIMATE CHANGE) TO HELP WITH FUTURE PRODUCTION PRACTICE DECISIONS. THIS PROJECT WILL WORK WITH THE REGIONAL INDUSTRY TO DETERMINE WHETHER PRODUCTION PRACTICES AND TIMING NEED TO BE UPDATED AND APPLIED TO HELP SUSTAIN THE INDUSTRY.