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Ae BIOMONITORING STUDIES 
THE BIOMONITORING STUDIES ARE FOCUSED IN THE MUSSEL WATCH PROGRAM, 
THE COASTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT STUDIES (CEAS), AND CARCINOGENIC 
BIOASSAY~ BIOMONITORING- MuSSEL WATCH AND CEAS UTILIZE NATURALLY 
OCCURRING AND “CAGED” BIVALVE MOLLUSKS AS BIOLOGICAL MONITORS- THESE 
SYSTEMS CAN BE USED TO IDENTIFY PROBLEM AREAS, ESTABLISH BASELINE 
POLLUTANT LEVELS AND ASSESS THE RELATIVE HEALTH OF A SELECTED AREA- 
AMONG THE POLLUTANTS STUDIED ARE HEAVY METALS, RADIONUCLIDES AND 
HYDROCARBONS + 
THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CARCINOGENIC BIOASSAY-BIOMONITORING STUDIES 
IS TO DETERMINE THE FATE AND EFFECTS OF CARCINOGENS IN NATURAL COASTAL 
WATER AND NATURAL POPULATIONS OF FISH AND SHELLFISH- TUMOR AND LESION 
TYPES COMMONLY FOUND IN FISH AND SHELLFISH WILL BE IDENTIFIED AND 
CORRELATED TO THE PRESENCE OF CARCINOGENS: 
B- MARINE SCIENCES RESEARCH CENTER 
A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOCUSES ON LONG-TERM RESEARCH WHICH 
PROVIDES THE LINK BETWEEN BASIS AND APPLIED RESEARCH AS RELATED TO 
EPA’s MISSION- A MARINE SCIENCES RESEARCH CENTER HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED 
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND, AND IS DIRECTED TOWARDS INCREASING 
OUR ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE COASTAL MARINE ECOSYSTEMS- THE 
RESEARCH FOCUSES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LARGE MICROCOSM SYSTEM, THE 
MARINE EcosySTEMS RESEARCH LABORATORY (MERL) AND THE STUDY OF POLLUTANT 
DYNAMICS IN THIS SYSTEM: PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF 
