THE EASTERN OYSTER,CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA,IS A MAJOR SOURCE OF ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL VALUE TO THE UNITED STATES AS BOTH A FOOD SOURCE AND THROUGH THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THEY PROVIDE. HOWEVER, THE EASTERN OYSTER SUFFERS FROM A RANGE OF DISEASES THATNOT ONLY IMPACT SPECIFIC LIFESTAGES OF AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT ALSO IMPEDE DISTINCT LINES OF PRODUCTION FOR OUR AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY. UNFORTUNATELY, CURRENT DISEASE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ARE OFTEN REACTIVE, OCCURRING ONCE DISEASE HAS ALREADY SPREAD WITHIN HATCHERIES, NURSERIES, AND FARMS.THIS REACTIVE APPROACH LEAVESLITTLE TIME FOR HATCHERY MANAGERS TO ACT OR EVEN SAVE THEIR STOCK, WHICHULTIMATELYSTALLSLINES OF OYSTER PRODUCTION ANDDELAYS INCOMING REVENUE. TO PREVENT FURTHER ECONOMIC LOSSES, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO EXPLORE PREVENTATIVE, AS OPPOSED TO REACTIVE, DISEASE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT TARGET HARMFUL PATHOGENS FOR SPECIFIC LIFESTAGES OF INTEREST BEFORE DISEASE SPREAD OCCURS. THIS PROJECT TAKES A PREVENTATIVE DISEASE MANAGEMENT APPROACH BY PRIMING THE EASTERN OYSTER PRIOR TO THE EMERGENCE OF DISEASE WITH TREATMENTS THAT STIMULATE THE OYSTER IMMUNE SYSTEM. AFTER QUANTIFYING THE IMPACT OF THESE TREATMENTS ON THE TOTAL INFECTION AN INDIVIDUAL OYSTER HAS, AS WELL AS ITS ABILITY TO SURVIVE THE INFECTION, WE CAN DETERMINE NOT ONLY IF PROTECTION IS OFFERED, BUT ALSO IF PROTECTION IS SPECIFIC TO DISTINCT PATHOGEN TYPES. THEOUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT WILLSUPPORT THE BIVALVE SHELLFISH INDUSTRY THROUGH TARGETED DISEASE CONTROL AND TAKE A NOVEL APPROACH TOALLEVIATE THE ECONOMICBURDEN SUFFERED FROM OYSTER AQUACULTURELOSSES. THIS WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD TO IMPROVED AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION AT LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL SCALES, PROVIDINGGREATER RESILIENCE FOR OUR OYSTER PRODUCERS.