National Shellfisheries Association

National Shellfisheries Association National Shellfisheries Association (NSA, founded 1908) promotes and advances shellfisheries research and its application to industry.

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views/opinions of the NSA. The National Shellfisheries Association is an international organization of scientists, management officials and members of industry, all concerned with the biology, ecology, production, economics and management of shellfish resources - clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, snails, s

hrimp, lobsters, crabs, among many other species of importance. The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect
the views and opinions of the National Shellfisheries Association.

A new, interactive data platform developed by the Molluscan Ecology Lab at the William & Mary Batten School of Coastal &...
06/22/2026

A new, interactive data platform developed by the Molluscan Ecology Lab at the William & Mary Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences and Virginia Institute of Marine Science, in collaboration with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), is transforming how scientists, managers, watermen and the public understand the wild oyster population in Virginia. Named the Virginia Oyster Stock Assessment and Replenishment Archive (VOSARA) 2.0, it converts almost three decades of fishery independent oyster survey data into a dynamic, GIS-based visualization tool. Find out more: https://www.vims.edu/newsandevents/topstories/2026/visualizing-virginia-oysters.php

2025 Susan Ford Research Grant Award - Project UpdateJaypee Samson's (University of Rhode Island) project aimed to uncov...
06/19/2026

2025 Susan Ford Research Grant Award - Project Update

Jaypee Samson's (University of Rhode Island) project aimed to uncover the molecular processes that drive disseminated neoplasia (a contagious, leukemia-like cancer) in quahogs (Mercenaria mercenaria) and to develop a practical molecular diagnostic tool for early detection. Because disseminated neoplasia can potentially spread both within and between populations as an infectious disease, it represents a significant threat to natural shellfish populations as well as to aquaculture operations that rely on consistent survival rates. Comparative analysis between neoplastic cells and normal hemocytes revealed substantial functional differences. Using the single-cell data, seven genes that were expressed exclusively in neoplastic cells and absent from normal quahog hemocytes were identified. Following optimization and initial evaluation, two of the seven genes emerged as particularly strong candidates demonstrating higher specificity for neoplastic samples relative to non-neoplastic controls. The next phase of this project involves validating these candidate markers in a larger and more diverse collection of field-sampled clams. This expanded testing will assess the robustness and reliability of the markers under real-world conditions. Read the full story in the current NSA Quarterly Newsletter (www.shellfish.org/newsletter).

The Susan E. Ford Award which recognizes student excellence in the areas of bivalve or crustacean mechanisms of defense against microbial and parasitic infection.

For more information on the NSA Student Grant Awards and application information, visit: https://www.shellfish.org/student-research-grants. APPLICATION DEADLINE November 1, 2026.

The Thurlow C. Nelson Outstanding Oral Presentation Award was awarded to Kimberly Lavoie, from University of Rhode Islan...
06/15/2026

The Thurlow C. Nelson Outstanding Oral Presentation Award was awarded to Kimberly Lavoie, from University of Rhode Island for her presentation, “Assessing the influence of birds and site-specific characteristics of oyster farms on f***l coliform levels in Southern New England.”

The Gordon Gunter Outstanding Poster Presentation Award was awarded to Julianna Colucci, from California State University, Fullerton for her poster, “Boring problems: quantifying bioerosion patterns in Olympia oysters across southern California estuaries.”

Many congratulations to Kimberly and Juliana who will receive two years of membership to the NSA, a certificate of accomplishment, as well as a great résumé builder marking this achievement!

Congratulations to Maritza Garcia-Flores (Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico), for also receiving the annual Sandra ...
06/15/2026

Congratulations to Maritza Garcia-Flores (Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico), for also receiving the annual Sandra E. Shumway Award for Outstanding Student Paper published in the Journal of Shellfish Research. An extra congratulations to Maritza who received the award previously in 2023.

Garcia-Flores, M., Aguilar-Cruz, C.A., Rodriguez-Jaramillo, C., Morelos-Castro, R.M., Hernandez-Cristobal, O., and Arellano-Martinez, M. 2024. Histological and morphological characterization of the development of the Kolliker’s organs of green octopus, Octopus hubbsorum. Journal of Shellfish Research, 43(2): 281-289. https://doi.org/10.2983/035.043.0215

This award has specific selection and evaluation criteria: (1) The lead author must have been a student when the work was completed, (2) the paper must present the student’s work, not that of a co-author, (3) it will be evaluated on the quality of the science and writing, and (4) the importance of the work to the field of shellfish research.⠀
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NSA student members are eligible for a number of competitive awards. Become a member of NSA: www.shellfish.org

Congratulations to Jessica Pruett (The University of Southern Mississippi), for receiving the annual Sandra E. Shumway A...
06/08/2026

Congratulations to Jessica Pruett (The University of Southern Mississippi), for receiving the annual Sandra E. Shumway Award for Outstanding Student Paper published in the Journal of Shellfish Research. Jessica was also a 2025 BioOne Ambassador.

Pruett, J.L., Otts, S.S., Willett, K.L., Fairbanks, L., Darnell, K.M., and Gochfeld, D.J. 2024. A past, present, and future outlook on the Mississippi oyster fishery. Journal of Shellfish Research, 43(1): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.2983/035.043.0101

This award has specific selection and evaluation criteria: (1) The lead author must have been a student when the work was completed, (2) the paper must present the student’s work, not that of a co-author, (3) it will be evaluated on the quality of the science and writing, and (4) the importance of the work to the field of shellfish research.⠀
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NSA student members are eligible for a number of competitive awards. Become a member of NSA: www.shellfish.org

Congratulations to Anne Gilewski of UConn who also received the 2026 NSA Michael Castagna Research Grant Award for her p...
06/05/2026

Congratulations to Anne Gilewski of UConn who also received the 2026 NSA Michael Castagna Research Grant Award for her proposal 'Tire wear particles in Connecticut estuaries and their interactions with bivalve shellfish'.

The Michael Castagna Award recognizes student research in applied shellfish studies. Your colleagues and the members of the Association look forward to hearing the results of this study at our next conference in Ballimore, Maryland (March 2027).

NSA student members are eligible for a number of competitive awards. For more information on the student competitive grants: https://www.shellfish.org/grants-and-awards. To become a member of the NSA: www.shellfish.org

Congratulations to Paul Coyne of Rutgers University who also received the 2026 NSA Melbourne R. Carriker Research Grant ...
06/01/2026

Congratulations to Paul Coyne of Rutgers University who also received the 2026 NSA Melbourne R. Carriker Research Grant Award for his proposal 'Using genomic tools to enhance New Jersey bivalve aquaculture'.

The Melbourne R. Carriker Research Grant Award recognizes student research in shellfisheries. Your colleagues and the members of the Association look forward to hearing the results of this study at our next conference in Ballimore, Maryland (March 2027).

NSA student members are eligible for a number of competitive awards. For more information on the student competitive grants: https://www.shellfish.org/grants-and-awards. To become a member of the NSA: www.shellfish.org

Congratulations to Flavie Perron of Dalhousie University who received the 2026 NSA Melbourne R. Carriker Research Grant ...
05/29/2026

Congratulations to Flavie Perron of Dalhousie University who received the 2026 NSA Melbourne R. Carriker Research Grant Award for her proposal 'Ecophysiological responses of triploid blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) exposed to heat stress'.

The Melbourne R. Carriker Research Grant Award recognizes student research in shellfisheries. Your colleagues and the members of the Association look forward to hearing the results of this study at our next conference in Baltimore, Maryland (March 2027).

NSA student members are eligible for a number of competitive awards. For more information on the student competitive grants: https://www.shellfish.org/grants-and-awards. To become a member of the NSA: www.shellfish.org

As a result of the new and successful ‘Subscribe to Open’ (S2O program at BioOne, all articles published in the Journal ...
05/27/2026

As a result of the new and successful ‘Subscribe to Open’ (S2O program at BioOne, all articles published in the Journal of Shellfish Research (JSR) in 2026, Volume 45, will be opened under a Creative Commons license, making them Open Access (in perpetuity) at no charge to authors.

This news is a great boon to the JSR and to authors – this is your opportunity to make your research freely available to the entire world and for maximum exposure of the JSR.

Check out articles in latest issue of the JSR: https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-shellfish-research/current

The International Conference on Shellfish Restoration (ICSR) 2026 convenes October 4–7, 2026, at Little Creek Casino Res...
05/20/2026

The International Conference on Shellfish Restoration (ICSR) 2026 convenes October 4–7, 2026, at Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Washington. Co-hosted by the Squaxin Island Tribe and Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF), ICSR 2026 features keynotes from four Indigenous Nations across three continents: the Squaxin Island Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Halalt First Nation (British Columbia), and Dunghutti Nation (Australia). Two Indigenous-led sessions include many other presentations from Indigenous communities, First Nations, and Tribes.

Registration and the abstract submission portal for conference are now open: www.shellfish-society.org . Abstracts are due by June 12, 2026, and the ‘early bird’ registration period ends September 1, 2026.

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