Safe, healthy seafood starts with understanding how outbreaks happen. Below are resources with information on shellfish closures, maintaining safe conditions during harvest and transportation, and protecting the health of consumers, your shellfish, and yourself.
Current Shellfish Sanitation Closures Map: Interactive map with current temporary closures of shellfish areas, produced by the Department of Environmental Quality. Includes a link to closure proclamations.
National Shellfish Sanitation Program: The National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) is the federal/state cooperative program recognized by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) for the sanitary control of shellfish produced and sold for human consumption. This page has the most recent guides for promoting the sanitation of the shellfish industry.
Ensuring Safe Seafood Video: Dr. Rachel Noble (UNC-Chapel Hill) and her team aim to revolutionize early detection and alert systems for contaminated seafood and ocean waters. Easy to use kits will identify harmful bacteria in water and shellfish in only two hours (vs the current 24 hours), significantly benefiting the NC tourism and seafood industries.
Harvester’s Guide to Vibrio: This brochure, put out by the East Coast Shellfish Grower’s Association, NOAA, and Sea Grant, has helpful tips for lowering the risk of Vibrio contamination while harvesting and transporting shellfish.
“Aw Shuck!” UNC-TV Video on Vibrio: This special is about Vibrio bacteria and research to create a warning system for oyster growers.
The Facts About Vibrio vulnificus: The Division of Marine Fisheries’ page about the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria.