** 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 SUCCESS OF THE U.S. BLUE MUSSEL AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY IS DEPENDENT ON THE ABILITY TO RELIABLY CAPTURE HEALTHY WILD LARVAE ('SEED') FROM THE OCEAN. IN RECENT YEARS, HOWEVER, MUSSEL LARVAL SUPPLY HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY UNPREDICTABLE, LEADING TO SEED COLLECTION FAILURES AND THUS CONSIDERABLE FINANCIAL AND PRODUCTION HARDSHIPS FOR MUSSEL FARMERS. IN THIS WORK, WE WILL DEVELOP NOVEL TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL TRANSFORM FARMERS' ABILITY TO MONITOR WILD MUSSEL LARVAE AT THEIR FARMS OR SEED COLLECTION SITES. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO: (1) DEVELOP RAPID AND USER-FRIENDLY MOLECULAR TOOLS DESIGNED TO DETECT LIVE MUSSEL LARVAE IN WATER SAMPLES, (2) PARTNER WITH MAINE'S MUSSEL FARMERS TO COLLECT COMMERCIALLY RELEVANT SAMPLES AND TO TEST THESE TOOLS ON OPERATIONAL MUSSEL FARMS, AND (3) DISSEMINATE OUR RESULTING METHODS, SAMPLING KITS, ASSAYS, AND EARLY DATA TO THE U.S. SHELLFISH AQUACULTURE COMMUNITY TO FACILITATE THEIR IMMEDIATE USE. THROUGH THE INCORPORATION OF RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES, WE WILL DELIVER SCIENCE-BASED KNOWLEDGE AND FIELD-VALIDATED TECHNOLOGIES TO END USERS (E.G., MUSSEL FARMERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS), ALLOWING THEM TO MORE ACCURATELY PREDICT WHEN AND WHERE WILD MUSSEL SEED WILL BE IN THE WATER COLUMN TO ULTIMATELY ENHANCE DOMESTIC MUSSEL PRODUCTION. THE TOOLS DEVELOPED THROUGH THIS WORK WILL MITIGATE STAKEHOLDER PRODUCTIVITY LOSSES AS A RESULT OF SHIFTING MUSSEL POPULATION DYNAMICS AND SEED AVAILABILITY, PERMIT GROWERS TO MAKE DATA-INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT LEASE-SITE APPLICATIONS AND/OR INVESTMENT IN SHELLFISH HATCHERIES, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE MUSSEL LARVABIOFOULING REMOVAL EFFORTS AND COSTS FOR NON-MUSSEL FARMERS, AND OPTIMIZE SUSTAINABLE PROTEIN PRODUCTION TO MEET THE PROJECTED FOOD DEMANDS OF A RISING POPULATION.