Pathology refers to the study of disease and how it causes changes to the tissues of an organism. This DMR program monitors major diseases that affect farmed marine organisms and wild marine organisms to ensure the health of the entire marine environment. The freshwater environment is the jurisdiction of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Most regulations regarding disease control for marine organisms can be found in Chapter 24 of DMR’s regulations. These regulations layout criteria for importations, movements, and health monitoring programs for marine life within the state of Maine.
Useful Definitions
Approved Finfish Quarantine System: A land-based aquaculture system that meets the below criteria:
- Physically isolated from other organisms
- Effluent is filtered for solids with 10um filter
- Effluent is treated continuously with a minimum UV dosage required to reduce all possible viruses by 3 log OR treated continuously with ozone to achieve a minimal residual concentration of 0.1mg/ml OR batch treated with chlorine to achieve a minimum concentration of 50ppm of chlorine 2 hours after treatment followed by appropriate treatment with sodium thiosulfate.
Approved Shellfish Quarantine System: A land-based aquaculture system that meets the criteria below:
- Physically isolated from other organisms
- Effluent is batch treated with chlorine to achieve a minimum concentration of 50ppm 2 hours after treatment OR continuously treated with solid filtration 10um & minimum UV dosage of >28,000 µW/ cm2 OR ozonation to achieve a residual concentration of 0.1mg/ml
Approved Source/Hatchery: An aquaculture facility that produces juvenile organisms for sale with a rigorous biosecurity protocols. In-state facilities have the requirement to test their broodstock for specific diseases a minimum of once per year and are audited annually to ensure they properly disinfect any discharges from their broodstock. Out-of-state facilities, must submit a minimum of 3 years of clean disease testing and been undergo a yearly biosecurity audit. For more information on approved sources see “Qualified/Approved Source/Hatchery”
Bait: Any product containing salt water or freshwater organisms that is used to be as an attractive food source for wild marine animals.
Biosecurity: Management practices or controls that prevent, reduce, and eliminate the spread of disease within a given system.
Import: An organism that enters Maine from any other state or country. Regardless of if the organism is allowed in other states within the United States, it will require an import permit to enter Maine legally.
Pathogen: A term for a disease-causing agent. Examples are bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, multi-cellular parasites, etc.