Dr. Alistair Dove will discuss his research regarding theoutbreak of marine diseases in the Long Island Sound as part of the’?Living World’ lecture series sponsored by Stony BrookUniversity’s Department of Ecology and Evolution.

His lecture will be held in the Earth and Space Sciences LectureTheater, Room 001, Friday, Jan. 24, at 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Dove’s research in the Marine Disease and Pathology Consortiumat Stony Brook University’s Marine Sciences Research Center examined themassive die-off of lobsters in the Long Island Sound that took place in thefall of 1999.’

Lobster, clam, oyster and fin-fish populations have been affectedby several recent aquatic diseases that have touched New York.’ Theincreasing frequency and severity of the outbreaks of these diseases havecaused potentially devastating changes to the marine environment of the Sound.

In response to the declining lobster population, federal and stategovernments allocated $7.6 million to form the Long Island Sound LobsterInitiative.

According to the New York Sea Grant, a federally funded aquaticresearch and outreach program and member of the Initiative, in New York alone,lobster harvesting brought in $29 million in 1998. The decline in the lobsterpopulation is not only of great environmental importance, but of economicconcern as well.’

The Sea Grant is also sponsoring six other studies on the Sound.

Dr. Dove is an adjunct assistant professor of the Marine Diseaseand Pathology Research Consortium.’ The consortium was established in 2000in reaction to the high lobster mortality rate.’ It was established toattempt to identify and research current and future marine diseases.

Dr. Dove is also a senior research associate for CornellUniversity College of Veterinary Medicine, which is one of several partners inStony Brook’s Marine Pathology Consortium.’