Grant Funds Research to Support Oyster Restoration

Oysters are critical to the marine ecosystem. Not only do they assist in filtering water and improving water quality, but their shells also create reefs where countless creatures live and thrive. As the importance of oysters has become more widely understood, the interest in bringing back populations that were decimated by overfishing and damaged by pathogens has increased. Yet many attempts to reseed and cultivate the oyster population have failed.

Dr. Elizabeth Suter, Microbiologist and Assistant Professor at Molloy University, has been doing research on why the restoration of oysters in the New York area has been hindered. Her efforts have been dedicated to finding a tool to monitor oyster pathogens and have led her to examine novel sequencing technologies.

With the help of Molloy’s Grants office, Dr. Suter secured a $20,000 grant. The grant supported her research for the project entitled “Development of a Rapid, User Friendly Bacterial Health Monitoring Tool to Assist Urban Oyster Restoration.” The research was funded by the NYS Water Resources Institute at Cornell University and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program, with support from the NYS Environmental Protection Fund.

On February 23rd Dr. Suter presented her findings as part of the 2023 Spring Speaker Series “Applied Water Research in NYS.” The virtual series is sponsored by the New York State Water Resources Institute at Cornell.

Oysters are increasingly under threat of bacterial infections due to climate change. The project developed an oyster pathogen monitoring tool that will leverage a novel generation of sequencing technologies to accurately identify bacteria from oysters. The tool was developed specifically for use in monitoring of the eastern oyster in NY Harbor, but the modular design will enable its application in other ecosystems.

“In addition to the tool development, the project brought onboard a new DNA sequencer that will benefit other projects in the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Studies.” shared Dr. Suter.

Two undergraduate student researchers received summer stipends to help with the work. Seniors Matthew Franolich and Joseph Benevento, both Environmental Science majors, assisted with research on Dr. Suter’s project. They are both writing their senior theses on the experience. Franolich has an opportunity to go to Spain and present the research findings at the ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting 2023, from June 3rd to June 9th, in Palma De Mallorca, Spain. The students both plan to go on to graduate programs after their graduation in May.