Holistic Response To A Lobster Fishery Failure And Ecosystem Mystery In Long Island Sound       Margaret Van Patten and  Nancy Balcom   Connecticut Sea Grant, University of Connecticut, 1084 Shennecossett Rd., Groton CT 06340       A massive die off of the lobster fishery in western Long Island Sound occurred unexpectedly in the fall of 1999.  The U.S. Department of Commerce declared the fishery a disaster in January 2000, and the problem continues today. Western LIS lobstermen suffered large economic losses and in some cases went out of business, with landings down up to 99% in some areas. Although a UCONN pathobiologist successfully identified a parasitic paramoeba in the dead and dying lobsters, both researchers and lobstermen believe that the die off is indicative of a stressed ecosystem and that complex environmental factors may be affecting animals' immune systems.  Pesticides from mosquito control attempts were blamed by many, but evidence was lacking.  Meanwhile, chitinolytic shell disease is infecting large numbers of lobsters in the eastern LIS and elsewhere in New England. A Lobster Health Symposium organized by the CT and NY Sea Grant programs was held to link researchers in diverse fields, oceanographers, state and federal agency managers, and lobstermen.  The participants developed an action plan to set research priorities, from the synthesis of pooled observations, ongoing research and ideas. Federal funds ($6M) have now been awarded to begin tackling the research priorities, and a holistic ecosystem approach requiring synergy between state and federal agencies, universities and the fishing industry is being developed. Sea Grant, NMFS, and state agencies are working together to implement a comprehensive research and outreach program to tackle this real-life whodunit mystery. Educational efforts have resulted in a Lobster Information website, a lobster listserve, and fact sheets to explain the problem to the public. This presentation will provide an overview of what's happened and where we go from here.